Camp Cullen
by Mrs.CaptainPeroxide
Summary: Vamps. AU. Canon pairings. Rated M just in case. Hormonal teenagers. Drama. Vampires. Bella and her co-counsellors will have a lot to deal with as crushes blossom, jealousy flares and mythic creatures become reality. Poor unsuspecting humans...
1. Getting the Job

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight (except my copies of the books and the movie soundtrack) and am not making any profit from anything Twilight-related.**

**A/N: Ok, first Twilight Fanfic. First and foremost, thanks to 4theluvofMary for being my wonderful beta. Go read her fics, she's pure genious. She writes a _wonderful_ Edward. And she likes Brand New. Break lines indicate the passage of time between two parts of the chapter. Please Read and Review. I _really_ need feedback for this, you don't even know!**

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**CHAPTER ONE: GETTING THE JOB**

**BPOV**

_"Camp Cullen is a summer camp for underprivileged kids, offering them the chance to experience the thrill of the great outdoors. In business for the past 20 years, this family-owned camp is looking for camp counsellors for the summer season. Applicants must be aged between 19 and 25 and have their first aid certifications. Please send your resume, a presentation letter and a motivation letter to..."_

I stopped reading and fished in my desk for a pen and paper to write down the address where I was to send my resume. I was graduating from high school in less than three weeks so I had really started my search for a summer job at the last minute. I was surprised this camp hadn't found all their staff already. I wasn't much of the outdoorsy type but I had my first aid qualification – thanks to my dad enrolling me in first aid classes every two years since I'd been fifteen – and it said further down the ad that they were looking for counsellors who could manage the arts and crafts activities. I'd be an Art major at the University of Washington next fall and I had babysat a lot growing up so I felt pretty confident I could meet their hiring criteria.

"Hey Bella!" my dad called in from the doorway the moment he stepped inside the door.

"Hey Dad!" I answered, looking up from the paper when his head peered through my open bedroom door. "How was work?" I asked, watching him as he started undoing his uniform shirt, revealing a white cotton undershirt.

"Oh you know the usual. We got a call from the Thriftway about kids loitering and Mrs. Jennings called again saying someone was snooping around her backyard." They got a call from Mrs Jennings about twice a week. "What about you? Did you get a lot of studying done?"

"Some... Hey dad, do you know a town called Forks?" I asked, thinking about the ad for Camp Cullen.

"I think its back west... " my dad answered distractedly. "Why?"

"Well I saw this ad for a summer camp that's still looking for counsellors and they're looking for someone for their arts and crafts, so I thought I'd apply..." I knew the thought of me being away from his watchful eye for the entire summer was not a particularly appealing one to my father. "I mean the pay's decent and I'd be getting room and board..." I trailed off.

"I don't know Bella..." he really seemed apprehensive.

"I mean, you'll have to get used to me not being around the house all the time, Dad. When I move out – which I hate to tell you will be sooner rather than later – I won't be back here every day, you know? That would kind of defy the purpose of me living on my own, don't you think?" I tried to lighten the mood.

The discussion pretty much ended there because at that moment the station called – Mrs. Jennings had reported another trespasser on her property – and dad had to leave. Meanwhile, I went to my room and turned on my dinosaur of a computer, wanting to update my resume so I could apply for a job at Camp Cullen as quickly as possible. I knew that if I did and my dad didn't really have a say in the matter he'd begrudgingly accept my decision. My dad hated having to do any sort of discipline and he was really lucky because I wasn't the type of kid that got in trouble. Our relationship was more like a friendship and it worked. I guess the fact that I'd had to be the parent when I lived with my mom helped make me responsible. Not that my mom was irresponsible, just a little flaky.

* * *

Two days later I came back from school in the middle of the afternoon after finishing my English exam early. I unlocked the door and threw the rest of my belongings that I'd finished retrieving from my locker at school and glanced at the machine to see if we had any messages; the indicator light was flashing so I pressed the button to hear them while I rummaged through the fridge to find a snack.

"Hi Bella, its mom!" I heard my mother's cheery voice and smiled to myself, "I just called to let you know Phil and I should get to town on the afternoon before your graduation. We've made our reservations at the hotel in Port Angeles and we'll meet you and Charlie at the school for the ceremony. I can't wait to see you honey, I'm just so proud of you! I love you!"

I erased the message and waited for the next one to play.

"Hey kiddo! I'll be working late tonight so don't wait for me before eating dinner. The guys at the station and I will probably order something – and before you start rolling your eyes at me – I'll be good and won't order anything that'll make my cholesterol shoot through the roof, I promise!"

My dad knew me too well. Ever since his friend Harry had passed away last year from a heart attack, I'd been on my father's case about his health and since I did most of the cooking at the house, I really tried to make sure his diet was as healthy as possible while making sure the food I served him was edible.

"So I'll see you later. And by the way, have you heard from Renée about your graduation? Do you know when she and Phil will get to town? Maybe you should call her and make sure she hasn't forgotten to make the necessary arrangements, you know how she can be... Well, see you later Bells!"

I erased his message as well and was surprised when the machine announced there was a third one; we never got this many messages in one week, let alone a single day!

"Hello this message is for Miss..." I heard papers being shuffled around, "Isabella Swan. My name is Esme and I'm calling regarding your application for a camp counsellor job at Camp Cullen," I hurried to the phone and grabbed the pen and pad of paper beside it in case I had to write something down. "We'd really like to have you in for a short interview if you don't mind. I can tell you it's just a formality as it's something like ninety-nine percent sure we're going to hire you." the woman chuckled lightly. "So if you could meet us in Port Angeles on June 6 at ten o'clock at the..."

I wrote down all the information Esme left on the machine then did my little happy dance – ok it's more like convulsions than an actual dance – and ran upstairs to choose what I'd wear for my "interview". I couldn't believe they'd decided to hire me based solely on my resume. I just hoped they didn't change their minds after meeting me.

I stayed up later than I usually would because I was so excited I wanted to tell my dad the good news as soon as possible, so I waited patiently – yeah, right! – for him to come home from work. As I had anticipated, he was somewhat upset that I'd be away most of the summer but he resigned himself to the fact that he couldn't keep me from working where I wanted to. He said that as my graduation present, he'd take me to Seattle so we could shop for some outdoors gear. He got enthusiastic – well as enthusiastic as my dad could get – talking about buying hiking boots and backpacks and thermal clothes and I admit I lost track of all the things he seemed to think I'd need. Eventually I had to interrupt him saying I was going to sleep; it was well past midnight and I had to have an early start next day.

* * *

I was really nervous as I stood in line behind my schoolmates, waiting to make my way to the stage to receive my diploma. I'd always been kind of coordinatedly challenged and I could already picture myself stepping on my polyester gown as I climbed the steps to the stage and landing face first in the ornate flower arrangement that was beside the podium.

Fortunately for me, everything went smoothly and even my parents' and Phil's loud cheering didn't make me trip all over myself. When I stood with my classmates and threw my cap in the air, I felt kind of relieved, like I was turning a page in the book of my life. I was happily surprised by this; I'd been expecting to panic over the upcoming changes that would be college and moving out but all of the sudden, I felt a kind of thrill and excitement course through my veins.

Later, after having dinner with my parents and Phil, I headed back home with my dad. I was exhausted but unable to sleep. My meeting with the people from Camp Cullen was only two days away and I was growing more and more anxious. I didn't doubt my ability to land the job – seeing as I had almost been promised I'd get it – but I couldn't wait to meet the people I'd work with for the next two months. I could only imagine how the Cullens must be great people; after all, not everybody would be ready to invest money in a summer camp for underprivileged kids.

Fleetingly, I wondered if I'd even get to meet the Cullens. I mean, it's not because they owned the camp that they worked there too; if they could afford to set up a summer camp, surely they could afford a competent staff without having to work themselves. Somehow, I knew I would be disappointed if the Cullens didn't work at the camp. My dad always said I put everybody around me on a pedestal, that I only saw the good in people; I would much rather think the Cullens were selfless and generous, with both their time and money.

* * *

I was sitting at a table of a café in Port Angeles where I was to meet Esme, the woman who had left the message on my machine about the job at Camp Cullen. She told me she'd be wearing a navy camp fleece so I kept looking at the door every few minutes to make sure I didn't miss her. Finally, a woman who looked to be about in her thirties walked in, wearing a navy fleece with the words 'CAMP CULLEN' embroidered in white over her heart. I plastered a smile on my face and waved shyly, flooded with relief when comprehension painted her face and she smiled and waved back. I waited patiently as she got herself a coffee and came to sit with me.

"You must be Bella." she smiled again, shaking my hand before sitting down. _Wow her hand is cold! _"It's nice to finally be able to put a face to the name."

"Likewise." I smiled, unsure what else to say. "The temperature must have really dropped out there." I finally blurted out, thinking back on how cold her hand had been.

"Excuse me?" Esme asked, obviously confused by my awkward attempt at small talk.

"It's just..." _what did I get myself into?_ I berated myself, wondering if I should just drop it or plough on. "Your hand, it's really cold. It just made me think that it must have gotten really cold outside." I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, realizing this line of conversation just sounded odd and out of place. Only someone as socially awkward as me could be having this much difficulty with small talk.

Esme smiled soothingly.

"Oh no dear, I just have really bad blood circulation," she brushed off softly. "I can never get to warm my hands up it seems." she finished, laughing a clear, bell-like laugh.

I felt so embarrassed I just smiled back and nodded, feeling like a complete idiot. _Great, now she probably thinks I'm some kind of weirdo and is going to take back the job offer._

"So, as I said on the answering machine, this meeting is just a formality really. We were really impressed by your application and we fully intend to offer you the job as the arts and crafts counsellor." she smiled warmly, pulling out a manila file from her shoulder bag, as though the whole beginning of our conversation had never taken place.

"May I ask you what about my application impressed you that much?" I asked hesitantly. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy you're offering me the job but I'd really like to know what was so great about my application so I know what to do next time I apply for a job." I joked.

"Well, your presentation and motivation letters were really well written and just the feel of them was great." she explained. "We at Camp Cullen rely a lot on our instincts when it comes to choosing our employees and we've always had good results." she seemed amused, as though there was some kind of hidden meaning to her words that I couldn't get.

"Oh well, that's nice. So would you mind talking to me more about my job? If my job is arts and crafts counsellor does that mean I'll only do arts and crafts?" I asked.

"No, not at all!" she chuckled softly. "Let me tell you more about how the camp functions, ok?" I nodded. "We get ten groups of ten kids every thirteen days. The kids are separated in age-groups; the seven and eight year-olds, the nine and ten year-olds, the eleven and twelve year-olds, the thirteen to fifteen year-olds and finally the sixteen and seventeen year-olds. There are two groups of each age group. Each group of ten kids gets three counsellors assigned to them for the duration of their stay.

"One counsellor isn't assigned to a certain age group for the whole summer; there's a constant rotation. Same goes for your co-counsellors; each time you get a new group you get new partners. Unless, of course there is any problem or animosity between counsellors – we're not looking to provoke problems but we do encourage our staff to try and work out their differences; we've found kids easily pick up on any sort of tension and we really want the kids to enjoy their stay at the camp.

"The reason your title is arts and crafts counsellor is that you'll be in charge of submitting ideas for projects for the different age groups and organizing the related activities. You'll have to prepare projects appropriate for all age groups but the younger kids are the ones who will do arts and crafts most often; some of our outdoors activities are a bit too dangerous for seven and eight year-olds. But each group of kids older than that will at least do one arts and crafts project during their stay. Some will do more; we adapt our programs to the kids and to the weather. Nothing is set in stone."

I had been nodding through her entire explanation. I liked how things worked at Camp Cullen; they suited me.

"So you said I'd have to prepare projects and activities..." I started voicing my only concern.

"Yes, the first two weeks of work are just for the staff to prepare for the camp. We'll all be at camp together so it's a good way to get to know the rest of the staff; we help each other prepare the activities and that way everybody knows what's going on. We've learned through the years that if we don't put up a united front, the kids can take over easily. It's not like kids try to cause trouble, but once they find an activity they really like, sometimes they try to make it so they only do that one activity, do you know what I mean?"

I understood perfectly; if you weren't on top of things, a kid could pretend he's supposed to be canoeing instead of rock climbing.

"Other than that... The staff gets a weekend off between our prep-weeks and the first day of camp. We all meet back at Forks High School on the first day of camp and ride the buses with the kids up to camp. Like I said earlier, the camps last thirteen days from Sunday through the Saturday of the following week; the staff gets the rest of Saturday off and then we meet again on Sunday at the school to take the next group of kids back to camp."

After that, Esme had me fill out the necessary forms to complete my employee file and made me sign my work contract. She then handed me a stack of papers with the rules of Camp Cullen, security procedures, and a list of things I would need to bring, along with a map of the camp grounds. She also handed me a list of the outdoors activities available, assuring me I'd get the proper training for each of them. Finally, we shook hands and parted ways.

I was totally looking forward to my summer at Camp Cullen. When I got home I went over the list of the things I'd need with my dad and we started planning our shopping excursion in Seattle. That night, I finished packing the things I wouldn't need while I was away at camp; since the last camp would end at the end of August I wouldn't get a whole lot of time to finish packing my things before I left for college in Seattle.

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**A/N: So here was the first chapter. I know Esme throws a lot of information at Bella (and therefore at you) in a short amount of time, but I just felt the need to get all the technicalities out of the way so I could move on to other, more interesting things. Please Read and Review, I'll send you psychic cookies. Thanks again to 4the luvofMary for being my beta, here's hoping you're in top shape again in no time, my thoughts are with you!**

**Toodles!**

** (formely known as Izzers)**


	2. Hiring Process

_**A/N: Ok people, here is chapter two of Camp Cullen. Even though the only two people who reviewed chapter one were 4theluvofmary, my beta extraordinaire (she reviewed even though she's slightly incapacitated at the moment, how great is she?) and my bestest, favorite partner in crime, StephBlue. Thank you both :D**_

_**Now as I said, chapter two. Um... I offer you a funny (I hope) glipse into the inner workings of our favorite Irritator of Grizlies and our beloved Empath. I hope you enjoy this chapter so much that you are compelled to review.**_

_**On a more personal note, I'd like to pimp Oximoronic8's Innocent, Vigilant, Ordinary because it's a fabulous story. Go check it out.**_

_**Disclaimer: **__**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

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******CHAPTER TWO: HIRING PROCESS**

**EmPOV**

"Esme, we got another one!" I yelled as I stepped into the tiny Administrative Offices of Camp Cullen.

My "mother" appeared from the only other room of the office, a smile plastered on her face; she absolutely loved the beginning of summer, the whole hiring process.

"Thank you Emmett, dear." she smiled, taking the envelope from my hands and reading quickly through the resume. "You'll be heading to Dungeness this time..."

"Why me?" I asked, not feeling like taking _another_ road trip. It would be the fifth one since the beginning of the hiring process. "Why can't you send Alice or something? We all know in the end it's her decision... sort of."

"Emmett, dear it's your turn to go. Take Jasper with you and I'll see you guys tomorrow." she pacified me with a caress on my cheek.

"So where, exactly is this Dungeness town? I've never heard of it." I pouted.

"You'll have to Google it to be sure, but if I'm not mistaken it should be close to Port Angeles." Esme answered, walking back into the office.

Still grumpy about having to take another road trip, I called out for Jasper while heading to my Jeep. I didn't know where my brother was exactly but I was sure he'd heard me. Sure enough, as I pushed aside the many harnesses in my Jeep and turned the engine on, Jasper slipped in next to me.

"Where are we going?" he asked, fastening his own harness as I rolled my eyes at him; why he bothered with the props was beyond me. I had asked him once and he had just shrugged it off mumbling something under his breath that sounded like "crazy driver..." or something. I pushed the thought aside.

"We've got another live one," I answered, waving the resume in front of his eyes, which he grabbed from my hands. "Why don't you make yourself useful and enter the address in my GPS?" I asked him.

"You know the GPS goes haywire because you drive too fast for its poor electronic brain." Jasper joked.

"I just want to get a general bearing, I don't really need the GPS you know that."

So Jasper entered the address in the GPS and once I had looked at it briefly, I turned the device off and gunned the engine. The GPS said it would take us about two hours to get there but it would most likely take a half hour to forty-five minutes. Sure enough, we were driving down this girl's street in no time, passing her house as we looked for an inconspicuous spot to park.

"Although it's pretty hard to hide such a conspicuous vehicle in an inconspicuous way..." Jasper grumbled, as we walked back to our "victim's" house.

It was a small house painted a soft blue with white trims. There was a police patrol car parked in the drive and the small splotch of fluid next to it indicated another vehicle usually parked here but was away. Jasper and I went around the house quickly and decided to try one of the windows of the second story at the back, which we accessed thanks to a towering tree that stood a few feet away from the house. We easily opened the window and stepped inside the room, looking around for signs of whose it was.

It was definitely a girl's room, but not a little girl's. It was practically square and the walls were painted a soft cream colour. The double bed had a chocolate brown comforter on it, but with an iridescent sheen that cast baby blue colors across the surface under certain lighting. There were clothes lying on the foot of the bed and a bright yellow terry-cloth robe hanging on a hook behind the closed door. A small desk with an _ancient _computer was at the other end of the room and a chest of drawers was next to the small closet. On the chest of drawers were four or five picture frames and I picked one up to study it.

There were three women in the picture, arms linked and all smiles; probably the grandmother, mother and daughter. It must have been taken a few years back because the girl seemed kind of young and carefree. She had shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes and pretty features; nothing extraordinary. I put the frame down and picked up another, of the same girl but this time she stood awkwardly with her arm around a man's waist; probably her father. They did look alike, more than the mother and daughter did. The girl seemed to be flushed and the man looked as uncomfortable as his daughter.

In the third frame, the girl was alone, holding up some sort of award. She looked embarrassed, but happy. Looking around the room, I spotted the award in question; a second prize for a story-writing contest. On the walls were a lot of drawings, some color other black and white and a few paintings.

"Look at all these books!" Jasper exclaimed from the other side of the room.

He'd found three boxes piled on top of one another, all labelled "BELLA'S BOOKS" and I had a hard time believing all _three_ of the boxes were filled with nothing else than books. I mean, who reads that much?

"Well, this is obviously our mark's room." I noted, looking around one more time. "But she's not here..." I added, picking up a black hoodie off the bed and smelling it. "I guess we'll just have to find out where she is..." I added, handing the garment to Jasper then heading back out the window.

"Did you smell that?" Jasper asked me when he landed next to me in Bella's backyard.

For some reason, he seemed troubled.

"Yeah, she smells pretty nice." I answered, shrugging it off.

"Pretty nice? Are you kidding me?" Jasper pressed on; he seemed kind of agitated, for a guy that was always so in touch with his emotions.

"Ok, ok, I guess she smells pretty damned good." I rolled my eyes. "But if you ever tell Rose I said that, I'll bite your head off. Literally." I warned.

"Have you ever smelled someone whose scent was so... tempting?" Jasper asked and even though I'm not the most touchy-feely guy, I could clearly see this was something that was upsetting him.

Then it clicked. Jasper hadn't been at this whole vegetarian thing for as long as I had been. Heck, I had never really gone on a whole human diet like he had and I still found this Bella chick slightly mouth-watering. Nothing I couldn't control though. But Jasper, he had been struggling a bit with our dietary choices. He'd had a few slips and from what Edward had told me, that was something that frightened him, slipping again I mean.

"Look Jasper, don't worry about it, ok? Some humans just smell better than others; just like some flowers smell better than other flowers. The trick is to remember that they are flowers – uh I mean people. You know, like they have parents and friends and histories and stuff like that. Look, it just – happens sometimes; Carlisle says it's about pheromones or something scientific like that; it's not you, it's that girl. You're not weak; she just smells better."

I wondered briefly if maybe Jasper wasn't the best person to be going out on this scouting mission with me. Why couldn't Edward or Alice be with me when I needed them? Sure, when I was having... um... let's just say 'feisty' daydreams about Rose, Edward always seemed to be around and scowl like a prude or gag. And when I wanted to pull a prank on her _precious_ Jasper, Alice was always around to warm him. But when we were on the verge of a crisis, they weren't anywhere to be seen.

_Aren't you being a little harsh, there Em?_

_Ok so maybe I am. But that still doesn't change the fact that if Jasper goes all psycho vampire killer I'm going to be the one to have to tackle him to the ground._

_So?_

_So?... Well I dunno..._

_You know it could be fun to have to tackle Jasper. And have a legitimate reason for doing so._

_Oh... Oh! Right! That might be fun._

Jasper stared at me as I was having this internal discussion with myself. Finally, a daffy smile spread across my face and I just ignored his stares and headed for the direction in which the girl's scent was taking me.

* * *

It didn't take us long to find the illustrious Bella; she was in the Port Angeles high school's library, apparently studying. I was beginning to think this trip would be a total waste of time – seeing as the point of it was to watch potential counsellors interact with others – when another girl walked up to Bella, asking if she could help her study for her English exam.

Bella immediately accepted, putting her own books away and smiling encouragingly to the other girl. It wasn't until she pulled out her own books out of her bag that I understood her nervousness; she was a junior and Bella was a senior. I looked around making sure nobody had spotted Jasper and I sitting on the tree's thick branches, peering in through the library window. It would probably have been really hard to try to explain what we were doing there; two grown men sitting in a tree watching through a school window.

"Ok Jamie, so what's making you nervous about this exam?" Bella asked nicely to the other girl.

"Well, there's just so much stuff to remember; the exam is on a pretty long book." she looked really discouraged.

"Don't worry about it," Bella reassured. "They'll most likely concentrate on the main themes of the book, not the details. Why don't we start by you writing out a summary – in your own words – of the book?"

We sat and watched and listened for the next hour as Bella tutored Jamie, staying patient even when the other girl's answers or questions didn't make much sense. Bella had a knack for understanding quickly what Jamie was trying to say or ask. Whenever she explained something to Jamie that seemed to confuse her, Bella had no problem re-explaining in different ways until the other girl understood. Finally, Jamie picked up her things and thanked Bella profusely, stating adamantly that if she passed her exam it would totally be thanks to Bella's tutoring.

Shortly after, Bella put away her things in her own messenger bag and headed out of the library. Jasper and I followed her as she went to the grocery store then headed back to her house. We watched from a distance as she busied herself around the kitchen, fixing dinner while talking with her father. She prepared the meal not once asking for her father's help and set up the table for the two of them, then called him to the table. They made little conversation during the meal which seemed to suit both of them and Bella seemed embarrassed when her dad thanked her for dinner and complimented her cooking talents. Finally, after refusing his help to clean up, she shooed him away in the living room and proceeded to do the dishes and tidy up the kitchen then escaped to her bedroom.

Personally, I'd already had enough of the whole surveillance thing but Jasper insisted we stayed until she went to bed. Her evening went by uneventfully and after hearing her talk on the phone with her mother then one of her friends from school about their upcoming English final – she was really good at reassuring her friend – she started changing into her sleepwear so we left and drove back to Forks.

"So what did you think?" Jasper asked when we were about half way home.

I shrugged my indifference. "She seemed nice." I simply answered. "I mean, she tutored that other girl this afternoon even though she was totally thick." I elaborated.

"Emmett, that's not very nice." Jasper chuckled. "Especially considering you're probably not any smarter than Jamie!" he laughed out louder now.

"Whatever." I huffed. "And she took good care of her dad, that's got to count for something, right?"

"Of course, the thing that stuck with you is the part where she cooked." Jasper teased again. "But you're right, she did it all on her own and didn't complain. And she seemed really patient with Jamie."

"So overall, a good candidate?" I conferred with my brother.

"I'd say so... Let's see what Alice thinks about it."

* * *

The next day, I made my way to the Administration Offices of Camp Cullen to report back to Esme and see what Alice's opinion of our newest candidate would be. Just as I called out for Esme, my other brother – Edward – walked in with Alice hot on his trail.

"I don't see what the problem with Mike is." Alice was obviously continuing an argument they'd been having. "I honestly can't see anything bad happening." she insisted.

"You could if you'd heard that guy's thoughts!" Edward answered violently. "I mean, every girl that walked by him got added to his mental porn! It was just so... disturbing! I won't even talk about what some of his fantasies were, Alice. Seriously, I feel I'll be emotionally scarred for the rest of eternity!"

"Edward, you can't punish someone for their thoughts!" Alice disagreed. "Thinking something and acting out on it are two completely different things!" she argued.

"What's going on kids?" Esme asked as she came into the front room.

"This Mike Newton is a total perv and Alice thinks we should still hire him!" Edward cried out, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Did he have any sort of pedophile fantasies?" Alice asked defiantly, her hand resting on her hip, a clear sign of exasperation.

"No but we _will_ have female counsellors his age, Alice." Edward replied dryly. "And we wouldn't want to have to deal with sexual harassment accusations flying around."

"Edward, was it really that bad?" Esme asked softly to try to diffuse the argument. "I mean, isn't it normal for boys his age to be... preoccupied by sexuality?"

"Mom, I just think he was a little too preoccupied." Edward had calmed down; he never spoke angrily to Esme. None of us ever did.

"Oh poor little Eddie-Boy," I started, dropping my hand heavily on his shoulder, noticing the scowl on his face upon hearing the nickname he loathed, "just because _you're_ such a prude it doesn't mean that whenever a normal guy thinks about sex he's too 'preoccupied' with it." I used air quotation marks to turn his own word against him.

Edward just glared at me and I was sure he had to resist the urge to cross his arms over his chest and pout. I just laughed loudly as Alice tried to pass off her own laughter as a cough – tough luck, Edward totally knew she was amused. Only Esme looked at Edward tenderly without laughing. Her hand went to cup his cheek in a motherly way and he seemed to lighten up slightly under her touch.

"Look I say we hire the perv," I started, holding a hand up when Edward was about to argue, "Seriously Ed, we have a mind reader, a psychic and a weirdo that can control people's feelings and emotions on our team. What chance does he stand?"

Everybody looked at me in silent shock.

"What?" I asked uneasily.

"You're... totally right." Edward finally whispered with a somewhat pained expression on his face; it seemed very hard for him to wrap his mind around the fact that my logic was flawless.

"Yeah..." Alice started, emerging from her shock-educed silence, "I mean the moment he thinks about putting moves on any of the female counsellors I'll have a vision, Edward will hear his thoughts and Jasper will feel his excitement... Oh-" she seemed disturbed by her last thought, "Poor Jasper."

"Well, it seems you kids have made the decision concerning Mike," Esme smiled at us; she obviously didn't mind that we were making decisions about who got hired. "What about your candidate then Emmett? How was she?"

"Oh well, she was kinda plain; you know in a girl-next-door sort of way. Boring brown hair, boring brown eyes, you know kinda boring-looking." I answered without thinking.

"I knew this making sense thing had to be temporary." Alice snorted.

"I was asking about her personality dear." Esme cooed.

"Yeah I know that, I was just trying to be funny." I lied. "Well... she was ok I guess. She didn't do much; when we got to her house she wasn't there so we snooped a little. She had lots of books and there were paintings and drawings on her walls – I wonder if she made those? – and then we found her at her school, she was studying and then this other girl asked her help to prepare for her English final and I guess this Bella chick was pretty patient and good at explaining things..." I trailed off, totally uninterested. "And then she cooked her dad's dinner and cleaned up afterward, it was all pretty boring." I added nonchalantly.

"Well in that case, I suggest we observe Miss Swan some more." Esme thought out loud.

"Can I suggest something Esme?" Alice asked and Esme nodded. "Why don't we tell her she has the job, that way I might see something and then observe her some more?"

Quickly, Esme agreed and called Bella; she was out so she left a message. Then Esme asked Alice to take Jasper and go back to observe Bella some more. They were to leave early in the morning and spend the whole day observing our candidate.

* * *

**JPOV**

"So, where are we heading to?" I asked Alice from behind the wheel. We were just entering Port Angeles and it was not even eight in the morning.

I was still nervous about being around Bella; her scent really was unlike anything I had ever come across. I felt better about being here with Alice, knowing she wouldn't let me do anything regretful and also I was comforted by the talk we had had last night; I had confided in her the troublesome scent that fluttered around Bella and she had reassured me, as Emmett had – although I tended to pay more attention to what Alice said than what Emmett did – that it wasn't unnatural to feel more... inclined toward certain scents than others. She told me not to worry, that I was better at being a vegetarian than I gave myself credit for and that by getting to know Bella better, it would be easier to fight the thirst when I'd be around her constantly at camp.

"She's going to be meeting someone at the hotel." Alice answered, pulling me out of my thoughts, as I nodded and made a left turn. "Hey Jasper?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah?"

"This summer's going to be great." she smiled at me.

"Is that just an educated guess or a fact?" I teased.

"Oh you know things can always change." she chuckled. "I just think we have really rounded up a great staff."

We were parked a couple of streets away from the hotel. We walked hand in hand down the street to the hotel and I bought two coffees at a little shop and joined Alice on a park bench across the street to the hotel. Alice sat with a magazine on her lap while I played solitaire on my cell. Soon, I saw Bella step up to the hotel and look around for someone. Finally, a car pulled over and she greeted a woman as she stepped out. I recognized her from the pictures in Bella's room as her mother and whispered so to Alice's ear.

"Hey Mom!" Bella hugged her mother. "How was your flight?"

"Oh, just awful Bella! We almost missed our connection in Portland because I forgot my carry on in the washroom!" her mother laughed at her own silliness and so did I.

"Hi there Bella," a man who had stepped out of the car greeted her.

He walked closer to the mother and daughter then awkwardly stepped closer to Bella, opening his arms for a hug. I snorted.

"God they're so awkward around one another!" I explained to Alice.

"Step-dad?" Alice asked.

"Probably." I answered then went back to watching the trio across the street.

"How about we go out for brunch?" Bella suggested. "There's a nice little family restaurant around the corner."

So we followed the family to the restaurant and around town for the rest of the morning. Even though Bella was extremely uncomfortable around her mother's husband – his name was Phil – she answered all his questions with enthusiasm, always being nice and polite and overall trying really hard to be pleasant. It was obvious to see she just wanted her mother to be happy.

Around noon, Bella parted from her mother Renée and Phil, explaining she had to get ready for the graduation which was being held at the high school the next afternoon. When she got back to her father's house, she ate lunch with him and then got a phone call asking her if she could babysit for a couple hours for a neighbour. She had plans to pack some things for college and still had to shop for presents for the few friends she had in school. Even still, she agreed to the babysitting.

She played with the little girl the entire time she was babysitting, making up some wild story that took them around marvellous distant countries, encountering dragons and princes and fairies, really getting into it. She didn't seem to mind looking silly – although who knows, maybe if she had known someone was watching her she might have been more self conscious.

Finally, Alice and I left Bella outside her house when she made her way back to cook her father dinner. On the way back to Forks Alice had a vision of Bella and said she would definitely be a great counsellor for the camp and she'd get along very well with our family.

When we reported back to Esme that night, she seemed happy that we had found the last counsellor a week before the beginning of camp and she started getting even more enthused about the summer – if that was even possible.

Later, when Alice and I were sitting together under the stars, her eyes glazed over and a couple of seconds later, she smiled at me and kissed me softly before laying her head on my shoulder.

"This summer is going to be great." she sighed with contentment.

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**_A/N: I hoped you liked chapter two. Now please go review._**

**_Like, seriously go review now...._**

**_You're still not reviewing?! Go! Now!_**

**_Toodles!_**

**_Mrs. Captain Peroxide_**

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	3. Introductions

**_A/N: I wanted to post this last night but I was too exhausted. Sorry. Story pimpage: Vixen1836's Black and White is just fabulous and well written and intelligent. And if you haven't checked out my beta's stories (4theluvofMary) you really should, she's golden. And I know I've told you this, but thanks for pimping my story in your last update. You rock._**

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**CHAPTER THREE: INTRODUCTIONS**

**BPOV**

I thought I would have a really hard time getting up at six in the morning to get ready to leave for Forks. But I was just so excited to start my new job that the moment my alarm went off, I jumped out of bed and made my way to the bathroom to take my shower and get dressed. Then I made my way downstairs to the kitchen and ate a bowl of cereal leaning against the sink while my dad ate eggs and toast and read his morning paper.

After eating and washing my bowl I went back up to my bedroom to pack the things I had needed that morning and therefore hadn't packed the night before such as my toiletries and my alarm clock. Then I gathered my I-pod and the book I would take with me in the car and packed those in my tote bag then joined my dad downstairs. At a quarter to seven I sat in the patrol car and Charlie brought the engine to life and we left. I took one last look at my house, my heart constricting a little thinking I wouldn't get to see it much before I left for college.

The drive was uneventful and silent as I read and listened to my music and Charlie drove. It was a two hour drive to Forks High School and the bus ride that would take us to camp wasn't supposed to last more than forty-five minutes. We were supposed to leave the school at nine.

"You sure you're up for this kiddo?" my dad asked one more time as we pulled into the parking lot of the school.

"Yes dad, I'm sure. Besides, it would be kind of late to change my mind, don't you think?"

"You can't blame your old man for hoping, can you?" he chuckled, a soft blush of embarrassment evident on his cheeks. I was definitely my father's daughter!

So we got out of the patrol car and my dad picked up the huge hockey bag that contained all of my clothes. I put on my hiking pack and shut the trunk of the car. Together, we walked to the small group of people who were already huddled together.

"Hi, Bella!" Esme called out when she saw me approaching.

"Hi Esme," I answered. "This is my dad, Charlie." I introduced him.

I was about to feel embarrassed about being escorted by my dad, feeling like I was a little kid, when I realized that three or four other people my age were also here with their parents.

"Well, since everybody seems to be here, I guess we can head out to the camp!" Esme called out over all the discussion going on around us. "Charlie, you can hand Bella's bag to Emmett." she indicated with her head to someone behind us and I turned around to face the biggest young adult I had ever seen.

"Emmett" was a colossal guy, about six-five with huge muscles and a round face and brown curly hair. Seriously, this guy could put professional body builders to shame. He easily took the hockey bag from my dad's hand and swiftly and gracefully threw it over his shoulder, walking to the back of the school bus and throwing it unceremoniously in.

I hugged my dad goodbye and told him I'd see him in two weeks then followed the other staff members onto the bus. I was kind of happy that Charlie and I weren't really good at showing our emotions when I saw a blond-haired mother hugging her son over and over again, crying so much she had snot pouring out her nose. _Now THAT would have been embarrassing!_ I thought to myself. Finally, the guy's father had to pry his wife away from their son who climbed on the bus.

By the time I made it on the bus, most of the seats already had someone sitting in them so I looked around trying to decide with whom to sit. I spotted a brown haired girl that was fidgeting and wringing her hands and kept looking down at her feet.

"Hi, is this seat taken?" I asked softly and she looked up at me.

"Oh no, it isn't." she replied shyly.

"May I sit?" I finally had to ask because she didn't seem about to scoot over. Maybe I had picked the wrong person to sit with...

"Oh, right! So sorry!" she blushed and moved over, obviously embarrassed. "I'm just so nervous!" she added, making me smile. "I mean, I've worked at day camps before, so I'm not nervous about working with kids or anything; it's just the fact of staying away from home for so long with a bunch of people I don't know, it's kind of nerve-racking!" she babbled on quickly.

"I know what you mean, don't worry!" I replied when she finally quieted to take a breath. "But honestly, I think it's even harder on my dad than it is on me."

She chuckled softly. "Hi, I'm Angela." she reached out her hand to me.

"I'm Isabella Swan. But call me Bella." I answered, shaking her hand. "So, what are you in for?" I asked, trying to make a joke.

Angela smiled, "Um... just as a counsellor I guess." she seemed unsure of her answer. "Why? Aren't you a counsellor?"

"Oh yeah... It's just that I'm kind of in charge of arts and crafts... I just thought everybody had a specialty." I felt bad, hoping she didn't think I was bragging.

"Oh well... I guess my speciality is kids then." Angela replied as the bus roared to life. "Next year I'm going off to University to study child psychology."

"Wow, that's great! I'll be one of those flaky Arts major." I laughed.

Angela and I continued talking throughout the entire ride to camp. I was sure we would get along great; she was on the shy side as I was and it was her first time living away from home for any long period of time. Like me, she wasn't a "social bee" in high school but rather had a handful of close friends she was very fond of. She had a younger brother and sister and kept saying she would miss her boyfriend Ben deeply while at Camp; he had already secured a summer job when Angela saw the ad for Camp Cullen in the paper and applied.

Finally the bus stopped and the engine was cut. As I looked out the windows all I could see was green, green and more green. We seemed to be really deep in the forest and I felt a small chill run down my spine. I knew we were only forty-five minutes from town but I felt really isolated. When I stepped to the door of the bus, I saw the first buildings and felt a little less worried. I was still looking around while really I should have been looking down where I put my feet. But as the thought crossed my mind it was already too late; I miscalculated how low the step would be and so I plunged.

I barely had time to put my hands in front me before I fell but it was a good thing I did because my hands got the worst of the fall. I tried to stand up quickly after so no one would notice but I wasn't quick enough. Two girls were staring, laughing openly at me, pointing even. _Now laughing I can take, but pointing is just rude,_ I thought as I brushed the dust off of me. Again, I looked around, taking in my surroundings.

I was mentally looking over the map of the grounds Esme had given me back in Port Angeles. The camp grounds were very vast and stretched over a good distance. We were in the parking area and in front of us there was a soccer field of sand. To my left was a wooden building Esme had pointed out to me as the arts and crafts one. Looking at it now, I saw it was like a huge gazebo all screened in; I made a mental note to explore it as soon as possible. Further away, the ground disappeared in a slope and I followed the rest of the staff in that direction.

When I stood at the top of the hill, I saw the rest of the grounds stretched out before me. On the right was a brown and white two storey building which I knew was the cafeteria. The top level was the kitchens and dining hall and the downstairs was the infirmary and common room where the staff would hold their weekly meetings.

Straight ahead were the dormitories; there were five of them, one for each age group. They were long with plenty of windows and painted a dull grey-blue. To my extreme left was a little cottage that was used as the equipment room where we would get all the supplies for our outdoors activities. Between the dormitories and the equipment cottage were stairs that lead down to the beach and the docking bay for the canoes.

I entered the lower level of the cafeteria building with the rest of the staff and walked down a narrow hallway into a big square room. The walls were painted a light shade of green and there were couches around the room, as well as tables and bookshelves filled with books. There was also a TV perched on an audio-visual cart pushed in one of the corners. On the walls were posters of different animals and a huge topographical map of the Olympia National Park and the surrounding area.

I took a seat next to Angela on one of the couches and waited for directions. For the first time since leaving Forks High, I looked around at the other staff members. Esme was in a corner of the room, speaking with a man about her age while another girl – she might have been my age – stood with them, listening intensely. The girl had short brown hair and was surely shorter than me. She had a lithe body, like a ballerina's and was extremely pale. I couldn't see her features but clearly but she looked pretty.

On the couch across the coffee table from ours sat two other girls my age; one had long blonde hair and her demeanour made it clear she thought herself beautiful. The other girl had soft curly brown hair and talked animatedly to a boy sitting on the armrest of the couch. It was the boy whose mother had made a scene about his leaving. He had blonde spiky hair and a round face. His blue eyes darted my way and he winked at me. I just looked away, embarrassed and looked at the other people around the room.

Only one other person caught my attention; a boy who seemed my age was also looking around, studying his fellow staff members. He had dark skin, like smooth caramel and midnight black shoulder length hair, which he had pulled back and tied on the nape of his neck. His black eyes roamed all over the room then fell on me. He smiled warmly and his white teeth seemed to flash in contrast with his dark skin. I shyly smiled back then looked away, embarrassed at being caught staring.

"Ok can I get everybody's attention please?" Esme asked, stepping to the front of the room, next to the AV cart and looking around the room waiting for everyone to settle down. "Alright first off, welcome to Camp Cullen everyone! We're so pleased to have you all here with us! I really hope you will all enjoy working here this summer! Some of your faces are familiar because I was the one who hired you but some of you were hired by my husband Carlisle so I'll introduce myself.

"My name is Esme Cullen," shock washed over me as I realized she was one of the illustrious Cullens "and I'm the administrator, if you will, of Camp Cullen. Carlisle and I run the camp with the help of our wonderful children, whom will introduce themselves too. I've been running this camp for a while and I love it. I really like taking care of the kids and seeing happiness on their faces when they get to camp. So that's about it... Carlisle?"

A blond man stood up and kissed her softly on the cheek, taking her place at the front of the room. "Hello," he greeted with a slight British accent. "I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen, but I must insist everyone here calls me Carlisle. My father was the founder of Camp Cullen and I took over when he passed away because I had always enjoyed working here as a teenager and I truly believed in what we do here, which is giving the chance to kids who would otherwise not have it to experience the joys of summer camp. If you have any problems or concerns about anything – even if it isn't related to camp matters – don't hesitate to talk to me or Esme. We'd like to think of ourselves as your surrogate parents while you work for us; all we want is for everyone to have fun and go back to their families in one piece."

"You might have to look closely after that one," one of the girls sitting across from me and Angela said, pointing at me. She was the one that had pointed at me while laughing when I fell off the bus. "I think she might be accident-prone." she laughed again, and soon almost everyone was laughing. I was boiling; my face was reddening and not just from the embarrassment. I fleetingly thought I would _not_ get along with that girl.

Carlisle waited for everyone to settle down then smiled. "Now, how about we go around the room and everybody can introduce themselves." as he said this, he looked to his right and the guy closest to him introduced himself.

I felt myself blush the closer my turn came. Finally, after Angela sat back down I didn't have a choice but to stand up and I knew I was a deep beet red.

"Um, hello. My name is Isabelle Swan but everybody calls me Bella." I rambled on. "Um... I guess I'll be the one in charge of the arts and crafts," to which Lauren – the self absorbed blonde that sat across from me and had laughed and pointed – snorted, making me blush even more and stumble on my words. I hated speaking in public. I shifted my weight from one leg to the other.

"Oh careful now, we wouldn't want you to fall again." Lauren teased sarcastically.

Again, more than one person laughed and I wanted to die, or maybe change into a puddle and just seep through the cracks of the floor. I felt angry tears start to brim my eyes and I really fought to keep them from falling; I was just so angry and when I get angry, I cry. But suddenly, all my anger and embarrassment went away and I felt extremely peaceful.

"Thank you so much Lauren," I started sarcastically, growing more confident as the words flowed through my mouth, "for demonstrating the kind of behaviour we can expect from the six year-olds during camp." I finished bitingly.

Now it was Lauren's turn to be laughed at and I felt incredibly vindicated. I tried not to look smug and just seem to be casually continuing as though nothing she had said had affected me.

"So other than telling you my age – which I won't because a lady never reveals _that_ – and that I'll be an Art major in the fall, you'll pretty much have to figure me out on your own. Isn't that half the fun of things anyway?"

I sat back down, amazed that I had for once found a snappy comeback to someone's teasing and that I had finished my introduction so easily; both attitudes were totally out of character for me, but I really enjoyed them and wished I could always manage embarrassing situations as easily.

"Hey everyone," a boy started, standing up. Well, 'boy' wasn't really what I should call him. 'Man' was a whole lot more appropriate. "I'm Edward Cullen, Esme and Carlisle's son. I'm twenty and I'll be starting my junior year in pre-med next year in Seattle. Other than that... I'll be one of your head counsellors, since I've worked here since I was sixteen. If any problems should arise, feel free to come talk to me." he concluded, sitting back down.

"I'd be more than happy to do much more than _talk_ to him." I heard Lauren stage whisper to the girl next to her – Jessica was her name – and she nodded in agreement.

I rolled my eyes at her innuendo but couldn't help myself from looking back at Edward Cullen. To say he was good looking would have been an understatement. He was _gorgeous_! Seriously, I had never seen hair that peculiar bronze shade. And his pale skin and... _Does he have** golden**_ _eyes_? I wondered in amazement. And even under his loose fitting t-shirt and somewhat baggy jeans you could just tell he had a killer body... Not that that kind of thing mattered much to me. Or that it even made a difference. If the last four years of high school had taught me anything in terms of social behaviour, it was that hot guys generally never noticed the average-looking girl – which I was painfully aware that I was.

The blonde guy that had winked at me earlier was now introducing himself. His name was Mike and he would be the 'gear expert' as he said; his parents owned an outdoors equipment store so his job was totally appropriate.

"Hi, I'm Jacob Black," the dark-skinned boy that had caught my attention earlier started. "I live in La Push, the Quileute rez on the coast. I've practically been raised outdoors so I think I'll fare pretty well when I start giving the forest survival workshop. I swear I won't ever let anyone get lost in the woods on my watch." he finished, sitting down and smiling at me. Of course, I blushed and looked away.

As the introductions went on, I was surprised to learn that more of Esme and Carlisle's kids were counsellors; there was Alice, the pixie-looking girl that had been talking with Esme and Carlisle before the introductions had started and Emmett, the brawny guy that had picked up my gear and thrown it into the bus back at the high school. Hearing him talk, I thought he seemed like a relaxed and easy going guy. He had a loud and contagious laugh and I was really looking forward to working with him. Other than the Cullen kids, there were two other people who caught my attention; Rosalie and Jasper Hale. They were Alice and Emmett's boyfriend and girlfriend. Both were blonde and incredibly good looking – as were all the Cullens as a matter of fact – and pale-skinned. Rosalie could easily be described as the best looking woman on the face of the Earth. Jasper had a messy head of jaw-length hair. He seemed less exuberant than Rosalie, quieter; his introduction had been extremely quick.

Finally, the introductions done, Esme invited everyone to join her upstairs in the dining hall in an hour, after settling in our sleeping quarters for the next two weeks.

"Until camp officially starts, we'll all be sharing the dormitories. During camp, two counsellors will sleep in each dormitory and the others will sleep in the staff cottages." Esme explained and I furrowed my brows trying to remember the map she had given me at my interview. I didn't remember seeing any cottages on it. "They weren't on the maps you received at your interviews because those were the same ones we give our campers and we don't think it appropriate they should know where you're all sleeping; it encourages them to venture out for different reasons."

Looking at all the gorgeous counsellors – and there were a few fine specimen – I could imagine teenage girls and guys infatuated with the staff trying to sneak to the cottages to try to hook up. It's really not something _I_ would have done as a teenager but I could easily picture Lauren doing something like that.

"You'll each have a turn sleeping in the dormitories; we'll put up the rotations on the board in our common room back at the cafeteria, along with the counsellor pairings at the beginning of each camp." Carlisle explained. "Now why don't you all go get settled and we'll meet up for lunch in an hour."

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I walked back to the cafeteria with Angela and Zeelah, a funny and witty girl that said when she re-introduced herself to us – "I mean, as if we're going to remember the introductions thirty people made, am I right?" – she was the best example of what an Afro-American dad and a Finnish mother could produce; she had milk-chocolate skin and dirty blond curly hair with the most piercing blue eyes I had ever seen. She was very outgoing and made tons of jokes, putting Angela and I at ease quickly.

"So who do you think are going hook up this summer?" Zeelah asked enthusiastically while we sat down for lunch. "I mean, it's clear ninety percent of the female population would like to hook up with the Cullen kid-" she started.

"Which one?" I asked; after all there were two.

"Edward of course." Angela and Zeelah answered in unison. Zeelah continued, "I mean Emmett's not bad looking, if you like the whole brawny thing but who is going to try anything when he's going out with a sex-bomb like Rosalie?" she asked but her tone made it clear she thought this was a fact.

"That Jacob guy isn't too bad to look at either." Angela chirped in. "I just love the colour of his skin! And his hair! It looks so silky." she added, fanning herself comically.

"Gee Angela, I didn't make you for the man-crazy girl! I'm not sure Ben would appreciate hearing you talking about your fellow counsellor." I laughed. "Am I the only one who absolutely doesn't want to think about any of this? Don't you think things are going to be complicated enough when we're dealing with hormonal teenagers who develop crushes faster than you can say 'drama'?" I asked. "We're at least going to get one girl every camp that comes crying to us because she's just 'so into Jimmy' but he won't give her the time of day because he's too busy drooling over Rosalie."

Both girls laughed at my example but I knew I made a valid point; with this many kids and teenagers around – not to mention so many great-looking counsellors – there were bound to be lots of crushes, unrequited or not, jealousy and tears.

"Funny you should be the only girl not thinking about summer hook-ups when you're obviously on a couple of guys' 'to do' lists." Zeelah laughed.

"What?" I asked, completely confused.

"Oh come on! You didn't notice all the guys checking you out?" Angela seconded Zeelah's theory. "I mean, I suck at that kind of thing but I totally noticed Mike looking at you! He even winked at you!" she added, giggling.

"Mike? _Forget_ about _Mike_!" Zeelah argued. "Did you see his mother this morning? He's a total Momma's Boy! No, you should focus on Jacob; he's totally sweet on you."

"Look girls, I honestly don't get what you're talking about; I didn't notice anything." that was a tiny little white lie; I had seen Mike wink at me and Jacob smile at me but it didn't mean anything. "But even if there were 'guys checking me out'" I said, using air quotation marks. "I couldn't care less; I'm here to have fun, be a camp counsellor and get a little money for college. That's it." I finished, picking up my tray and going to throw my trash away.

"Esme," I asked, walking up to her table – which she shared with the entire Cullen-Hale clan.

"Yes Bella?" she asked sweetly.

"Do we have anything planned for after lunch? Because I'd really like to go check out the arts and crafts building." I added quickly, not wanting my bosses to think I already wanted to slack.

"Actually, why don't you go ahead and we'll tell everyone to meet up there in about half an hour; I want to go over the grounds and show you where you'll be staying once camp starts." she answered after a moment's consideration.

I smiled to Esme and walked out the cafeteria feeling several pairs of eyes staring at me. Once outside, I looked up at the threatening grey clouds, glad that even though they obscured the sky, they had yet to split open and curse us with rain. As I made my way to the Arts and Crafts building, I looked around at the surrounding woods and decided this summer would be fun, even if I _did_ have to put up with the likes of Lauren and Jessica. My new friends Zeelah and Angela more than made up for the giggling, gossipy, boy-crazy girls and I just hoped to work closely more often with my friends than with the other two.

I remembered hoping that the Cullens were going to work here before I came to camp. I was really glad that their entire family was so involved at Camp. Contrary to popular belief, some people who had money _were_ nice and selfless and I was glad my employers were in that category. It made working for them that more enjoyable. It might have been silly, but it made me feel really happy that we seemed to be sharing the same philosophy; that people who had a lot should share what they had and help out those who didn't have as much. I felt closer to the Cullens because of this shared philosophy and strangely enough, that 'closeness' pleased me a whole lot.

_This summer is going to be great._

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_**A/N: Please review, you know you really want to.**_

_**Toodles!**_

_**Mrs. Captain Peroxide**_


	4. CB, SS and TTGBITN

**DISCLAIMER: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: Sorry it took a while to update, but life happened and yeah... Story pimpage of this chapter: Go check out cdunbar's Holding Out For You, it's just really, really, really great and mature and different. So please, review this chapter, it's one of the longest so far, so show me some love.**

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**CHAPTER FOUR: CHUBBY BUNNY, SCARY STORIES AND THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT.**

**BPOV**

I walked up to the huge gazebo that was the arts and crafts building to see what I had to work with. I expected that, since the main activities at camp were outdoors type activities, the arts and crafts would lack in supplies but boy, was I wrong!

When I pushed the screen door to the building, I was taken aback by what was inside; there were three rows of long tables, splattered with paint, with long low benches on each side. On the walls, all around the main room were shelves filled with different types of paint; acrylic, watercolour and oil. There were buckets of crayons and pencils and markers and pastels. There were shelves filled with papers, canvases, blocks of clay and piles and piles of old magazines that kids could cut out pictures from.

I walked to the back of the gazebo, to see what was behind the only wall that separated the space. When I walked through the door, I was assaulted by fabric; there were costumes everywhere for the kids to play dress up! I stepped back into the main room and had to sit down I was so overwhelmed by everything that was at my disposition; if this was how they supplied one of the "lesser" activities, I couldn't imagine all the equipment and gear that would be available for the outdoors, more popular activities.

"Are you finding everything to your liking?" a soft velvety voice asked from behind me.

I turned around to find one of the Cullen kids – Edward, the gorgeous one – standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe.

"Are you kidding?!" I asked, bewildered. "This is so _beyond_ what I was expecting! There is just so much stuff, I don't know if I'll have time to use everything during the summer!" I finished half-laughing.

"Well we were hoping not to have to re-stock everything next summer..." he trailed off teasingly, "Hi, I'm Edward." he introduced himself, walking to me with his hand out.

I almost answered "I know." but I didn't thinking I would look like a stalker-dork.

"Bella." I simply answered, before shaking his hand.

The moment our skin met, I felt an electrical shock run from our contact point through my entire body. I was so shocked – no pun intended – that I pulled my hand back swiftly from his. I didn't know if he had felt the shock too, but his brows furrowed in a confused expression and I hoped my gesture hadn't insulted him. But soon a crooked smile spread over his gorgeous features and I felt my heart beat furiously and my cheeks burn; I knew I was blushing. But unlike so many other times, I didn't look away in shame because his gaze held my own and I was dazzled by him, my brains turning to mush and my legs were feeling more like jelly. So much so that I thought I might fall, so I sat back down. His smile seemed to widen and reach his eyes, making them sparkle intensely but the spell was broken when his head snapped around, breaking our eye contact and a few seconds later I heard voices coming from outside and realized the rest of the staff was coming to meet up, just like Esme had said.

Before anyone had reached the building, I felt a gust of wind come through the screened portion of the gazebo and closed my eyes as the breeze brushed across my face, sending tendrils of hair swirling around. I sighed in deeply, thinking a breeze like this one would probably be welcomed once the room was filled with kids running around. I opened my eyes, about to comment on the caressing winds to Edward but the words died in my throat when I took in his expression.

At first I wondered if the breeze hadn't brought an unpleasant smell to his nose. The repulsed expression on his beautiful face made me momentarily dread that he was about to be sick. But then, an angry scowl formed on his features and I felt the heat rise to my face when I couldn't help but feel like that anger was directed at me. I almost pinched myself when a low hiss escaped his lips and he walked out – no more like ran out of the gazebo, running into the crowd that was coming along the path without turning or apologizing. I sat there, staring at where he had disappeared wondering what I could possibly have done to offend him so.

* * *

The visit of the camp grounds was pretty extensive but really interesting; there was just so much to see and so much history linked to this place. I forced myself to concentrate on all the facts Esme and Carlisle threw at us, trying to forget the disgusted look on Edward's face. Finally, we made our way back to the dormitories and Esme suggested we all get in our swimsuits and head for the beach. I didn't really feel like swimming seeing as the sky was overcast – according to Jacob, Forks and its surrounding areas had the most overcast days out of the year in the whole country – and a cool breeze travelled through the grounds. Instead of changing, I grabbed a book to take to the beach and joined the rest of the staff.

Very few people were brave enough to go in the water even though many more had changed in their swimsuits; Lauren and Jessica were wearing revealing bikinis and I hoped they had at least had the sensibility to pack more appropriate attire for when the kids would get to camp. Obviously those two would be using these two weeks to get _intimately_ acquainted with the male counsellors. I rolled my eyes at Lauren when she asked one of the guys to help her serve the volleyball in a sickly sweet voice before turning my attention to my book.

For the most part I was left to my own devices while I stayed at the beach. Except for the unlikely number of times the volleyball flew to where I sat – well away from the game – and the same boy always seemed to volunteer to get it. Eventually I got fed up of his little routine and went to sit on the other side of the beach where I wouldn't be bothered. Or so I thought.

"You've got to be the first person I've ever seen on a beach reading a book." a male voice called to my left.

I looked up even though the distraction wasn't particularly welcomed and saw the blonde momma's boy – Mike I believe his name is – standing a couple of feet away from me, looking down at me with a huge grin.

"Maybe you don't get to the beach much then." I answered shrugging.

"Maybe. I'm Mike by the way." he extended his hand for me to shake, which I did briefly and somewhat reluctantly. "You can just tell me if you want to be left alone, you know."

I almost did but thought it might be rude. Instead, I tried to offer an explanation for my behaviour.

"I come from Arizona." I started explaining. "So for me a day at the beach has to be hot and sunny to be worthy of a swimsuit."

"Then I definitely hope we'll have lots of hot and sunny days this summer." he said suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows for added effect.

_Is this guy for real?!_ I asked myself, cringing.

"So do you have a boyfriend who'll be picking you up when we go back home between camps?" he asked, oblivious to the fact that I was uncomfortable, embarrassed and slightly repulsed by him.

"Excuse me?" _I can't believe he's asking me that!_

"Because if you don't maybe you and I should get together." he winked at me._ What is it with this guy and winking at me? _I wondered. "I think we could have a lot of fun; I've always fantasized about having sex in the woods."

I blushed furiously and choked on my own saliva. _Does he honestly think he has a chance talking to me that way?!_

"Hi, I'm Alice, mind if I join you?" a crystalline voice came from behind me. _Oh thank God for the distraction!_ I rejoiced.

"Sure," I smiled at her, patting the ground beside myself so she'd take a seat. "I'm Bella." I added, shaking her hand and not even acknowledging Mike's presence, hoping he'd get the hint.

"It's nice to meet you Bella. Did you know we're going to be working together on the first camp?" she added conversationally. Of course, there was no way I could know that.

"Really? Does that mean the assignments for the first camp are out yet?" Mike asked.

"No they're not. I just helped put the teams together." she answered. "And before you ask, no I don't remember if you'll be working with any babes."

Mike looked like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar. _He couldn't seriously have been about to ask her that... Could he?_

"So Bella, what do you think of camp so far? Did you find everything to your liking in the ACB?" she asked. She must have read the confusion on my face because she kept on going, "That's what we call the arts and crafts building for short." she explained.

"Oh, that makes sense." I laughed. "Your brother asked me the exact same thing earlier." I commented. "And yes, it's to my liking; it's actually way beyond what I was expecting." I finally answered her question.

"My brother?" she asked at the same time.

"Yeah Edward; he made it to the ACB before the rest of the group got there and asked me the exact same thing."

"Well, I think I'll go for a swim." Mike cut in as though he felt left out of our conversation – which he purposefully was.

Alice and I didn't reply; I mean, what were we supposed to say? 'Ok, you can go'? Or 'please don't'? He was probably hoping for the latter.

"So you met Edward?" Alice asked curiously. "What did you think?"

"Um, what do you mean?" I asked half unsure and half uncomfortable.

"Are you like the rest of the girls here, drooling over his good looks?" she asked, laughing lightly.

I just shrugged. "I guess you'd have to be blind not to notice he's above average in the looks department." I started diplomatically. "But I'm not one of those girls who go boy-crazy. I'm just here to do my job and hopefully have a good time while at it." I answered.

"You know, I might be one of the head counsellors but you don't have to give me the sucking-up-to-the-bosses'-daughter-so-I-don't-get-into-trouble answer." she laughed.

"I'm not, that's my no-bullshit answer. I'm not here looking for a hook-up or anything like that." I repeated to her my theory about the impending teenage angst and drama and she seemed to agree.

"You're totally right. We'll have more than enough to deal with." Alice stated matter-of-factly. "I'm just not so sure it'll only be coming from the campers..." she added, smiling like she knew something I didn't.

* * *

The first two days at camp had been pretty relaxed and uneventful. The Cullens wanted the counsellors to familiarize themselves with the camp grounds and to get to know the rest of the staff. I found I really got along great with Alice and surprisingly – for me anyway seeing as I had never been one of the popular kids in school – with Rosalie and Jasper whom I had secretly dubbed the 'beautiful people'; even though none of the Cullens lacked anything in the looks department, it was inconceivable to be around the Hales without feeling some sort of self-doubt or self-esteem drop. Even though Rosalie and Jasper never did anything to try to make you feel small or anything like that; they were surprisingly nice for such gorgeous people.

On the second night that we were at camp, we all gathered on the beach with blankets and marshmallows and built a huge fire around which everybody sat happily. I ended up seated between Jacob and Zeelah and there wasn't a dull moment in our conversation. Jacob was as outspoken and funny as Zeelah and they kept making joke after joke and I had to beg them to stop so I could manage a breath.

"I say we play a game." some girl sounding bored suggested. _Of course Lauren would be bored when there's no opportunity to hit on a guy..._ I thought.

"How about spin the bottle." someone suggested laughing. I wasn't surprised to realize it was Mike's suggestion.

It was a good thing Carlisle and Esme had preferred to stay back at the administrative building – another building that wasn't on the campers' maps. It was a little in retreat and was nothing more than a glorified double-wide trailer. But the Cullens thought it was better if the campers didn't know where the offices were; that way none of them could be tempted to sneak in during the night to call their parents and beg them to pick them up. "It's happened before." Esme had told us laughing. "A kid didn't want to be here because he thought his parents had only sent him here because they were trying to get rid of him."

"I'm sure that's the only way for you to get a girl to willingly kiss you, right Mike?" someone shot out.

I could have sworn I heard Alice growl – _growl?_ – as I thought it had sounded like Edward's voice. But the comment had the desired effect when Mike blushed profusely – _Ha! it is fun to see when I'm not the one doing the blushing!_ – and stalked off in the woods.

"How about Chubby Bunny?" I finally suggested when no one made any other suggestion.

Of course, everyone had to turn and look at me, making me blush furiously (call it karma) waiting for instructions.

"The game is pretty simple; you put a marshmallow in your mouth and say Chubby Bunny. You're not allowed to chew on it or take it out of your mouth or else you're disqualified. Everyone does the same one after the other. When it's your turn again, you put another marshmallow in your mouth and say Chubby Bunny again. The game goes on until there is only one person left in the game."

"And what does that get you, being the last one to chew your marshmallows?" Jessica asked dubiously.

"Um, the great honour to be crowned Chubby Bunny king or queen?" I made it sound like a question. "And trust me, in the end you won't want to swallow those marshmallows."

"What's the point?" Lauren drawled out. "It's such a _juvenile_ game, don't you think?" she asked sourly.

"What's the point of any camp fire game, Lauren? It's just funny." Zeelah bit back then smiled at me.

Finally, since no one else could come up with a better game to play, everyone agreed to play Chubby Bunny and since it was my idea, the general consensus was that I should be the first one to go. So I stuffed the marshmallow in my mouth and said "Chubby Bunny" and waited for Zeelah, who was sitting on my right, to follow my lead. As the game progressed, more people started making disgusted face and drooling – which was half the fun of the game. After my fifth marshmallow I called it quits and watched as the remaining contenders – mostly guys – continued to shove the sugary cubes in their mouths.

"Chubby Bunny!" Jacob cried out on my left. "Howy cwap, this is weawy gwoss!"

"Chubby Bunny!" Zeelah said after shoving her eighth marshmallow in her mouth. "You wuh totawy wight Bella, they's no way in hell I'll be eating these after _I_ win." she winked at me.

"Chubby Bunny." Alice then said, sounding bored and totally unaffected by the melting of the sugar in her mouth.

The game went on until there were finally only three contenders: Jacob, Zeelah and Edward. They were now at their eleventh marshmallow and I could see from Zeelah's nauseous expression she was about to call it quits. Finally when her turn came, she picked up a marshmallow from the plastic bag, looked at it with a disgusted eye and threw it in the fire.

"I'm out." she said and walked away to spit out the mushy mess that was in her mouth.

"You did me proud," I told her when she came back, patting her knee and watching Edward as he stuffed his marshmallow in his mouth, not even flinching and calling out "Chubby Bunny."

"Jacob, you look kind of green around the edges there..." I said when he picked up his next victim.

"Don't listen to her Jake, shove that thing in your mouth and do me proud!" Zeelah egged him on.

"Zeelah, there's no point in Jake getting sick over something as silly as a game of Chubby Bunny..." I objected, eyeing Jacob's pasty complexion with a worried eye. "There's no shame in ending the game here." I continued, addressing Jacob now, putting my hand over his.

Since he was now at the point where he could no longer speak, except to utter "Chubby Bunny" when it was time, Jacob tried to smile at me to convey he was good; although he looked quite the opposite of good. He was pale, which in and of itself was a worrisome thing to be when you're as deep skinned as Jacob was, and he was starting to shake a little from the sugar high.

"Yeah Jacob," Edward called out, sneering at his competitor, "there's no shame whatsoever in quitting."

"I'm not giving up," Jacob answered fiercely and stuffed the marshmallow that was in his hand into his mouth, saying "Chubby Bunny," with a smug grin on his face.

It only took a second for me to see the change from the smug grin to the somewhat panicked expression that overcame his face before he shot up and ran for the nearest trees and began heaving loudly. My instinct got the better of me and instead of congratulating Edward for his victory, I ran to Jacob's side and rubbed his back with one hand while I held pack his long, soft curtain of hair as he puked the sugar and his dinner out. When he was done – not a moment too soon too as my gag reflex was starting to act up – he stretched up from his bent over position and swiped the back of his hand over his mouth.

"You ok?" I asked softly, my hand lingering on his lower back. "Why don't we get you something to drink?" I suggested, putting a light pressure on his lower back to make him walk towards the cooler where we had stashed the collection of soft drinks and water bottles we'd brought down from the cafeteria.

Jacob and I grabbed some water bottles and sat back where we had been sitting all night and I fussed over him while people congregated around Edward, patting him on the back, congratulating him for his win or shaking his hand. I barely looked in his direction, too busy wiping Jacob's forehead with the sleeve of my hoodie and asking him over and over again if he was feeling alright.

"Thanks, Nurse Bella." Jacob smiled at me after the tenth time I asked him if he was feeling better and he grabbed hold of my hand and softly kissed my knuckles. "I'll make sure you're around the next time I get sick, I love getting all your attention." he smiled.

_Is he flirting with me?_ I wondered in awe. As far back as I could remember boys had never flirted with me. Guys back home only saw me as a clumsy tomboy and never as a girl. And Jacob's flirting – if that's what this was – wasn't overtly sexual like Mike's – failed – attempts had been. He just sounded sweet and hopeful in a non-obtrusive, pushy way.

"Uh..." I finally produced a sound when Jacob's intense staring clued me in as to his expectation of some sort of answer. "I'm sure you'd fare much better in Carlisle's company if you get sick again." I thought that was an appropriately teasing answer.

For a second, a dark look crossed Jacob's friendly face and I turned around to follow his gaze; Edward, Alice and Jasper were huddled, heads close together while they whispered furiously and eventually, Edward's head shot up and he glared at Jacob, while Jasper and Alice looked in our direction with unreadable expressions. I could feel tension in the air but shrugged it off when Edward left the fire site and I turned back to Jacob. The darkness had left his face and I could only see his brilliant white smile.

"So does anyone have any scary stories?" a boy called from the other side of the fire. If I remembered correctly his name was Embry and from what I could tell, he and Jacob knew each other outside of camp.

"Come on Embry, I'm sure no one wants to hear stupid scary stories." another guy answered from somewhere on my left.

He was another russet-skinned boy. Although 'boy' hardly seemed like the appropriate word to describe him; he was really tall and had wide, strong shoulders. He also had silky black hair but unlike Jacob, he kept it cropped short. He had tried to sound like he was teasing Embry but I couldn't help but think something was off about the way he had spoken; he had sounded a lot like he had been warning Embry. I felt silly for the thoughts as they crossed my mind so instead, I tried to get back to the conversation.

"Oh I don't know Sam," Lauren said from beside the hulking guy, putting a hand on his bicep – _did she just squeeze his arm? Is she really trying to grope him?!_ – and batting her eyelashes at him.

I rolled my eyes and turned to Zeelah who was making a gagging noise from beside me. I clamped my hand over my mouth to try and cover the giggles that were trying to escape my lips; Lauren's lame attempt at flirting with every guy might prove to be a source of entertainment this summer after all.

"Yeah, I like scary stories," Jessica, who seemed to be trying to follow Lauren's lead and was patting Embry's shoulder said; although in her defence, she looked much more uncomfortable at the whole flirting with anything with a pulse than Lauren was and I thought briefly that Jessica's obvious inexperience at being a total slut – _did I just think that for real? wow, I can get really bitchy sometimes!_ – was probably her only redeeming quality.

Embry looked over the fire, like he was having a silent conversation with Jacob. Finally, Jacob shrugged his shoulders and looked at Sam, seemingly waiting for his opinion.

"I guess scary stories can't be harmful." Sam shrugged. "Everyone knows scary stories are fictional anyway."

"So, who's got one?" Zeelah asked from my side, sounding interested.

"I have one," Mike, who was just returning to the fire, called out. He waited until everyone had settled around the fire and looked at each and every one of us. "Ok so this is something my dad told me once, when I was a kid. He says it happened to one of his friend's ex-girlfriend. Apparently she was out one night with her boyfriend at the time. They went out to dinner, and then the guy said he'd drive her home, but he used some woodsy back road, you know, to spend some quiet time with her, if you know what I mean..." Mike wiggled his eyebrows to indicate what he meant, "So they're on this back road, right, and he stops and parks to try and make a move on her and they get going at it, you know? But then, there's this weird, screechy noise coming from outside, like metal grinding on metal and-"

"Oh come on, everyone knows that one." one of the male counsellors called out. "Doesn't anybody have something _interesting_?" he asked harshly.

"Well..." Embry started then looked at Sam and then at Jacob, as though asking for permission. Although, I don't think anybody else noticed the look it was so furtive and I'm pretty sure nobody noticed as Sam and Jacob nodded their heads their movement was so small. "It isn't really a scary story, more like a Quileute legend..."

"Quileute?" Lauren asked.

I heard three definite snorts and I could almost feel Jacob roll his eyes. "Yeah, Quileute. It's the name of our tribe." Sam answered shortly.

"So anyway," Embry continued, ignoring Lauren's intervention altogether, "Long ago, there was a sad time in the land of the Quillayute. For days and days, great storms blew. Rain and hail and then sleet and snow came down upon the land. The hailstones were so large that many of the people were killed. The other Quillayute were driven from their coast villages to the great prairie, which was the highest part of their land.

"There the people grew thin and weak from hunger. The hailstones had beaten down the ferns, the camas, and the berries. Ice locked the rivers so the men could not fish. Storms rocked the ocean so the fishermen could not go out in their canoes for deep-sea fishing. Soon, the people had eaten all the grass and roots on the prairie; there was no food left. As children died without food, even the strongest and bravest of their fathers could do nothing. They called upon the Great Spirit for help, but no help came.

"At last the Great Chief of the Quillayute called a meeting of his people. He was old and wise. 'Take comfort, my people,' the Chief said. 'We will call again upon the Great Spirit for help. If no help comes, then we will know it is His will that we die. If it is not His will that we live, then we will die bravely, as brave Quillayute have always died. Let us talk with the Great Spirit.'

"So the weak and hungry people sat in silence while the Chief talked with the Great Spirit, who had looked kindly upon the Quillayute for hundreds of years.

"When his prayer had ended, the Chief turned again to his people; 'Now we will wait for the will of the One who is wise and all-powerful.'

"The people waited. No one spoke. There was nothing but silence and darkness. Suddenly, there came a great noise, and flashes of lightning cut the darkness. A deep whirring sound, like giant wings beating, came from the place of the setting sun. All of the people turned to gaze toward the sky above the ocean as a huge, bird-shaped creature flew toward them.

"This bird was larger than any they had ever seen. Its wings, from tip to tip, were twice as long as a war canoe. It had a huge, curving beak, and its eyes glowed like fire. The people saw that its great claws held a living, giant whale.

"In silence, they watched while Thunderbird - for so the bird was named by everyone -carefully lowered the whale to the ground before them. Thunderbird then flew high in the sky, and went back to the thunder and lightning it had come from. Perhaps it flew back to its perch in the hunting grounds of the Great Spirit.

"Thunderbird and Whale saved the Quillayute from dying. The people knew that the Great Spirit had heard their prayer. Even today they never forget that visit from Thunderbird, never forget that it ended long days of hunger and death. For on the prairie near their village are big, round stones that the grandfathers say are the hardened hailstones of that storm long ago. "

As Embry had been telling the story, my eyes had closed and I could picture the great bird coming to the rescue of the Quileute people. Embry's voice was warm and supple, like leather, and he had a great talent for telling the story in the perfect rhythm, making me spellbound. It wasn't until I heard a snort and opened my eyes to glare at whoever the sound came from, that the spell of Embry's tale wore off.

"That's not a scary story; it's just a bunch of stupid superstition." Lauren snarled.

Immediately, I felt Jacob tense beside me and he must have been very angry at Lauren because soon he started shaking.

"Lauren, if you can't appreciate the telling of a legend, then go paint your nails or something." Zeelah barked and everyone laughed.

Lauren stood up in a huff and Jessica followed her away from the fire site and as the laughter died down, a cool breeze picked up and I wrapped my arms around myself. My front, which was facing the fire, was all nice and toasty but my back was starting to get really cold and the contrast in temperatures was making chills run up and down my back.

"Are you cold Bella?" Jacob asked, turning to me.

"Just my back." I answered.

"Well, if you don't mind sitting on the ground, I could sit behind you on the log and you wouldn't be cold anymore." he suggested, and I could tell he was trying to be nonchalant about it.

"Hitting on you," Zeelah cough-talked loudly and I turned to glare at her.

Of course, Jacob heard what Zeelah 'said' and he seemed embarrassed as Sam and Embry started laughing at him and I felt a warm blush creep up my face.

"Um, no thanks Jacob, I'll be fine." I finally answered.

"Come on Bella, no funny business, I promise." Jacob tried convincing me.

But I shook my head no; it wasn't that I didn't trust Jacob not to try to 'make a move' on me or anything like that but I just wasn't comfortable with the idea of sitting in front of him and leaning into his chest. It felt like a very intimate position to be in and I barely knew Jacob, so I wasn't about to indulge him. He didn't press the matter further but instead took off his windbreaker and even though I protested, he gently put it on my shoulders and smiled at me as I mumbled an embarrassed "thanks."

"Well, if someone doesn't come up with another story to tell soon, we might as well call it a night and all head back to the dormitories. I'm sure the bosses will be putting us to work nice and early tomorrow." a female counsellor, whose name I couldn't remember, advised.

"Since Lauren left, I might be able to tell you another of our Quileute legends," Embry started as noises of consent came from around the fire. "Ok, so this one's a little more... disturbing I guess.

I sat and listened to the legend of how the cold ones came to the tribe's land.

"Well first off, you have to know that the Quileute believe that our ancestors were shape-shifters; they could turn into great, big wolves whenever their tribe was in danger. How that came to be is an entire other story, a less scary one so if you're interested, maybe I'll tell it some other time." Embry started.

I listened as he told the legend of how 'the cold ones', vampires basically, came to the tribe's land and how the chief and his sons defended their loved ones. I was saddened that so many died before they finally rid their land of the first cold ones and was horrified when Embry told of how the female blood drinker came to their village and slaughtered the eldest son of the chief's third wife. But the part that got to me the most was when Embry told us of the third wife's sacrifice.

As Embry's last words faded, I could feel tears streaming down my face; I felt such sadness and sorrow for the Third Wife. Despite the ultimate sacrifice she made, no one bothered to remember her name, unlike the chief's and his sons'. Yet she had showed such extraordinary courage, forfeiting her life so her sons could live on and for her tribe to be safe. I couldn't help but feel slightly mad at the Quileutes for omitting to remember her name but then thought that at least, they told her story in a way of honouring her memory.

"So what you're saying," Mike's voice broke through the reverent silence, "is that your people believe that vampires and werewolves exist?" there was a definite disbelief to his tone.

"Not _werewolves_," Sam objected obviously annoyed, "Shape-shifters that just so happened to shift into wolves. But it's just some old legend and is supposed to be some sort of metaphor, _obviously_." he stood up and stretched. "It's supposed to mean that, you know, in a truly dangerous situation, you can find the strength within yourself to do anything you need to in order to survive."

Of course Sam was right; this legend was just the Quileute equivalent of fables or fairytales, without the whole 'the moral of the story is...' at the end. Because really, blood drinkers and shape shifter? There were no such things, right?

After Sam got up, everyone followed suit and I walked silently between Zeelah and Angela as we made our way back to the dormitories. The path wasn't lit in any way and the dense canopy of trees prevented the moonlight to shine through; people were swinging their flashlights as they walked, dimly lighting the path and I had to concentrate really hard and walk more slowly to make sure I didn't fall down. But of course, eventually I did fall down with a loud 'Umpf' and because I had been trailing a little behind my friends they didn't notice that I wasn't behind them anymore. So while I gathered myself up again and dusted myself, I was left in the dark, staring straight out in the woods, and then my blood froze; there had been the faintest sound coming from the bushes, like leafs ruffling and I stood still, trying to locate where the sound was coming from. My heartbeat accelerated and I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. Cold sweat trickled down my back and I held my breath, while my brain was wondering '_fight of flight?_' I didn't have time to make a decision before I was startled with a heavy hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry!" Jacob apologized as after I yelped. "You ok Bella?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"Yeah, yeah, I just tripped." I explained, getting up.

I didn't mention the sound or the feeling of being watched.

"You shouldn't stray from the rest of the group, you know? With werewolves and vampires walking around..." he winked at me.

I laughed but my stomach dropped. I _didn't_ believe in nonsense like vampires and werewolves, but there _definitively_ had been something lurking in the woods, that much I was sure of.

* * *

**A/N: The first legend that Embry told is one I found on the net, I'm hoping you liked it. Please tell me what you think of this chapter. Also, to those who have been reviewing my fic, I hope you enjoy the little goody I try to include in your replies. If you don't know what I'm talking about, PM me if you didn't get a goody and want one. Other than that, take care, have a happy holiday season and please be safe. If you drink, don't drive. Take care!**

**Mrs. Captain Peroxide**


	5. Adventures

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**A/N1: I know, I know, I know! *shakes head in shame* Don't be mad, please. *lower lip trembling* I know I suck and I haven't updated in ages... it's just... *defeated sigh* you know, sometimes your brain just goes blah and you're unmotivated and kinda down and I really hate winter and the fact that the sun doesn't get up until, like, 9 a.m. and goes down at, like, 4 p.m. and I'm just really missing sunlight and going out without a stupid jacket and... yeah... I've been kinda doing shitty lately and my desire to write/update has just flown out the window. Anywho. This is me giving myself a kick in the ass. I'll really, really, really try to go back to a more regular writing/updating schedule. In theory, the next chapter should be up in two weeks. But I haven't finished writing it, so that might change. Again, sorry for the wait, the rant and the incredibly long A/N.**

**A/N3: Story Pimpage for this chapter... Go check out gemmabobella's Lost and Found, it's fabulousness _and_ she's also writing the story in Edward's perspective in Amazing Grace. Actually, everything she writes is golden, I highly reccomend you read all her stories. Let's Get Physical is another great one from her (it's EmxB); it's funny and fluffy and a different beat. So that's that.**

**A/N2: Ok, so while writing this chapter I decided that I didn't want to think up or write about all the preparation that our counsellors have gone through in the two weeks before the kids arrive at camp. Instead, I'm focusing on developing relationships and setting up things for later in the story. Trust me when I tell you this: everything happens for a reason. I'm really trying to 'set the stage' if you will for things that will happen later on in the story. Any who, on with the chapter...**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE: ADVENTURES**

**JACOB'S POV**

_Where are you, you stinking leech?!_ I repeated in my mind over and over again as I walked through the dense forest. _I know you can hear me, so why don't you make this easier on both of us and just come out and face me?_ I continued to trudge on, thinking grumpy thoughts, calling out to him. Then the wind shifted and a burning scent flared through my nostrils, making the hackles stand up on the back of my neck. _I can smell you, you filthy blood sucker..._ I jeered. I heard a soft footfall to my left and soon enough, there he stood, watching me silently. _I guess, since I came out looking for you you're expecting me to speak first?_ I thought as I sat on my hind legs then absentmindedly raised my paw to scratch behind my ear.

Edward just nodded.

_Care to explain why you were lurking in the woods last night?_

He shook his head no.

_Typical. Well let me tell you what it looked like then; looks to __**us**__ like you were stalking your prey, leech._

"I was doing no such thing." was his first vocal answer.

_Sure, you say that... But still there you were, waiting in the dark, hidden behind a bush, staring at Bella..._

He merely scoffed and looked away.

_And don't you bloodsuckers usually hunt in pairs?_ I asked, getting to the point that was nagging at me most.

"Alice and Jasper were getting on my nerves." he simply answered, sounding utterly bored. "Yes, I am bored with this conversation. Did you have any _reason_ to pester me with your rowdy thoughts or was this just an attempt at annoying me to death?"

I scoffed. _You're the mind reader, you tell me._

"No..." he answered slowly, studying me, and then rolled his eyes. "I was _not_ on the prowl and I wasn't about to attack Bella."

_Then why were you stalking her?_

"I wasn't _stalking_ her." he sounded defensive.

_Sure you weren't. You just happened to stay within hearing range after you and your 'siblings' were supposed to have gone off to bed. And you just so happened to walk along the pathway to the dormitories keeping up with Bella's snail pace._

He seemed uncomfortable for a moment and I guffawed inwardly. Of course, it didn't go unnoticed to him.

"Oh stop being so smug, you mutt!"

I laughed again as another thought crossed my mind.

"No, I'm not _interested_ in Bella." he snarled.

_A little quick to dismiss, aren't we?_ I teased. This was turning out to be fun. _Does wittle Edward have a wittle cwush on wittle Bella?_

"Like you're one to talk, dog."

_Yeah well at least __**I**__ have a pulse. And if it's not an __**unnatural**__ infatuation, what's your interest in her?_

Edward furrowed his brows momentarily and seemed to be thinking really hard about something. Then he sighed.

"I can't hear her." he stated.

_What?_

"I tried concentrating until I popped a vein but nothing."

_Well so? You can't hear someone, what's the big deal._

"I've never been unable to hear someone." he said obviously ticked that Bella's mind remained a mystery to him. "Of course, that probably just means there's something defective about her."

_Sure. You're upset because you can't __**read her mind**__, and she's the defective one. Freak._

"Look, do you have anything else to say or am I just wasting my time here?" he asked exasperatedly.

_Just say away from her, Cullen._

He rolled his eyes. "Don't waste your macho over protectiveness on me, Black. You're not impressing me."

_I mean it, Cullen._ And then I growled, just for added effect.

"Is this the protector speaking or the jealous teenager?" he jeered.

I growled again then stalked away. _Stupid leech!_

After my encounter in the woods with Edward, I had wandered through the forest for a while then had approached the dormitories silently, looking out to make sure no one was around. Then I phased back to my human form and dashed across the path to enter our quarters and get dressed. Next, I headed to the rec. room that was under the cafeteria where I was supposed to give everyone an orientation seminar; how to read a topological map and a compass.

"Well hello there ladies!" I greeted Bella, Zeelah and Angela when I stepped foot in the rec. room. "Are you ready to learn all about forest survival?" I asked, sitting next to Bella on one of the many couches that were littered over the room.

A couple of minutes later, Esme asked me to the front of the room where I started my seminar on basic survival techniques and how to use a map and a compass. After the lecture, I asked everyone to follow me outside in order to set up teams to take part in a survival exercise.

* * *

**BPOV**

Jacob had us pick names from a hat to make up the teams. When it was my turn to plunge my hand in the hat, Jacob winked at me then quickly looked away. I looked down at the name on my paper and turned to my soon-to-be partner.

"Jasper." I called out, and then smiled at him.

_Is it just me or does he seem a little apprehensive?_ I wondered when I saw his gaze flash to Alice in what could easily have been mistaken for a look of panic. But Alice just smiled and Jasper made his way to me slowly, smiling stiffly at me.

_He kinda looks like he's in pain... I wonder if he's passing gas or something..._

Somewhere behind me, I heard someone chuckle. I ignored it and turned to my partner.

"I hope you paid attention to Jacob's lecture because everything he said went in one ear and out the other." I teased Jasper, nudging him with my shoulder. Jasper visibly stiffened some more. _Note to self: avoid physical contact with Jasper, it makes him uncomfortable._

"I think I can manage to keep us out of trouble." he deadpanned and I smiled back at him.

Twenty minutes later, everybody was paired up and Jacob gave us the signal to head into the woods. To avoid cheating, he sent each team in with a two minutes interval and Jasper and I were the last ones to go. I held the items' list and Jasper was in charge of the map and compass. I read the first coordinates to him and he started down an unbeaten path through the woods. He walked briskly and at first I really tried to keep up with him but after falling for the fifth time, I sighed in exasperation.

"Uh Jasper, do you think you could slow down a bit?" I called after him. "Not all of us have superhuman speed and agility!" I teased.

Jasper stopped dead in his tracks and he turned around to stare at me with wide eyes. At first I smiled but when the intensity didn't leave his eyes and his body didn't relax, my smile faltered and I laughed nervously.

"Is everything ok Jasper?" I asked my voice barely above a whisper and I doubted he could hear me.

He snapped out of his daze, "Uh? Oh yeah, sorry I just thought I saw something behind you."

I turned around suddenly scared but couldn't see anything.

"I was mistaken." he added almost as an afterthought.

Then he started walking again, more slowly this time and I was able to keep up. It turns out compass-wielding and map-reading held no secrets for Jasper and we made quick work of our list. We had just picked up the last item – a neon-orange security whistle – and were on our way back to the cafeteria when I tripped over a tree-root I hadn't seen and fell hands first. I landed on the palms of my hands but cut myself on a jagged rock that was on the ground.

"Shoot!" I mumbled under my breath.

Suddenly, I felt the air around me change; there was a definite tension and I looked around trying to understand what was wrong. I heard a low growl coming from behind me and the hairs at the back of my neck stood up. Before anything had time to register in my mind, Edward was beside Jasper, a hand thrown over his shoulders.

"Bella, camp is just back that way; go!" he yelled at me.

I stood there, frozen.

"Bella, go!" he screamed again.

"Edward? Edward, where are you?" I heard Jessica – his partner for the exercise – yell through the woods.

I looked back to Edward and Jasper and I could see the blonde struggling against the brunette.

"GO!" Edward screamed fiercely at me and I got so scared by the expression on his face that I took off in the direction he had indicated.

I was so terrified that I wasn't even sure I was going in the right direction anymore. But my legs couldn't stop running and it was as though my brain refused to give them the order to stop. My heart was pounding and I fell, the air getting knocked out of me when I failed to break the fall with my hands and I hit the ground chest first. But I didn't even take the time to feel the pain; I got up again and started running like the devil was hot on my heels. This didn't make any sense but my body was acting of its own accord.

When I finally slowed down, I had no idea where I was. The grey sky overhead was making things under the canopy of trees dark and gloomy. I stopped and tried to recall what Jacob had droned on about when he gave us the lecture on forest survival and orientation. _He mentioned something about walking around... but I can't remember if he said it was good to walk around or not..._

Instead of walking around, I opted for turning around in a circle, trying to get my bearings. The only thing I achieved though was to get dizzy and eventually, I let myself sink to the ground and wrapped my arms around my legs while I buried my face in my knees. I was starting to get cold; I was only wearing cargo pants and a t-shirt because the temperature at the beginning of the day had been pretty warm. When I had donned my "I Only Date Superheroes" t-shirt this morning, I had thought it was pretty comical – even though it _had_ earned me curious glances from the guys from the rez. and the Cullens – but now I wished I had instead topped it off with at least a sweatshirt.

The sun had started going down while I ran and now the grey skies and late hour of the day meant the forest was getting dark really quickly. I was about to give in to despair and start crying when I thought I heard my name being called. I listened closely but didn't hear it again, so I thought that my fears were making me hear things.

"Bella?" I finally heard again after what seemed like an eternity.

"Hello?" I called back sheepishly, hoping I wasn't answering the voices in my head.

"Bella?!" the voice called again, more excitedly now.

"I'm here!" I answered, for now I knew I wasn't imagining it. My heart started beating faster as the overwhelming joy of being rescued took over.

"Bella!" finally, the flash of a flashlight broke through the underbrush and I heard footsteps coming closer along with my rescuer's voice.

"I can see your flashlight!" I informed excitedly.

And finally, the spot of the flashlight was shining in my eyes and I could see someone's silhouette behind the blinding light. I raised my hand up to protect my eyes from the harsh light and tried discovering my saviour's identity. It was too early to recognize people only by their voices yet.

"You scared us!" a voice, a different one this time, accused. This voice was female.

"Do you need a hand getting up, Bella?" a third, enthusiastic voice asked and I nodded.

A clammy hand wrapped around my outstretched one and the owner tried pulling me up. Tried being the operative word. But my legs were jelly from the emotions and I didn't get off the ground.

"Here Mike, let me." the original voice suggested and I thought I could detect an ounce of annoyance directed at Mike because of his inability to pull me up.

"No, I've got it." Mike retorted in a snappy tone and once again, he tried pulling me up but failed. I wince as the pressure on my hand made my wound hurt.

"Look, my legs are pretty wobbly right now and I'd really like to keep my shoulder in its socket." I finally intervened and Mike let go of my hands.

"You're freezing, Bella." the first voice noted and I realized I was shivering.

A warm hand snaked under my knees and around my back and soon, I was being carried away bridal style. I looked up to see in whose arms I was and was met by a dazzling white smile. Even without the light of the flashlight, I could clearly see the smile through the darkness and I felt soft hair tickling my nose.

"Jacob?" I ventured.

"Hey Bella! Told you I wouldn't let anyone get lost in the woods on my watch!" Jacob stated cheerily. "Although, you _did_ almost make a liar out of me!" he laughed good-naturedly.

"I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened!" I started babbling. "One minute I was walking, then I fell and cut my hand open on a rock, then there was this weird growling noise that came from the woods, then Edward was telling me to run and..." I trailed off.

"Edward said he told you which way camp was." the female voice interjected.

"Who said that?" I asked to the darkness.

"Alice." she identified herself.

"Oh, hey Alice," I greeted weakly. "Well, yeah, he did tell me which way camp was but for some weird reason I got really scared and I just... ran, my feet were on autopilot and I didn't notice which way I was going." I explained lamely. Then, something clicked in my mind, "Is Jasper ok?" I asked, concerned when I thought back to Edward's arm wrapped around his shoulders protectively.

"Yes," Alice answered quickly. "He's just really sensitive to the sight of blood. It makes him... sick." she explained.

"Oh." I nodded, even though she couldn't see me through the darkness.

"Hey, did Edward ever say how he just happened to be there when it happened?" Mike asked speaking for the first time since Jacob had picked me up.

"He was just behind Jasper and Bella." Alice answered. "He saw her fall and then saw she was bleeding."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. When Jessica had been calling out his name, she had sounded really far away. But I didn't question it. "Well, I'm really glad he was so close by. I don't think I would have known what to do with Jasper if he had gotten sick. He was the one that was in charge of getting us around; I would never have known how to get back to camp when he got sick."

By then, I could see light filtering through the trees and guessed we were close to camp. When we finally came out of the woods, there was a large group waiting for us, Esme and Carlisle at the forefront. I wondered briefly how they knew I had been found. Alice walked ahead of Jacob and handed back a black CB to Esme then and I understood. I hadn't even noticed she had used to radio to tell them I was ok.

"Bella!" Angela separated from the throng of people along with Zeelah and my two friends walked up to greet me.

"Don't ever scare us like that again, girl!" Zeelah said, laying a hand across my forehead and trying to read my eyes. "Are you ok?" she asked.

"Well, before these three showed up, I was pretty cold, but now I'm ok." I started. "My right palm _is_ throbbing though..." I finally realized, holding up my hand to look at the wound that had brought all of this on.

"Here Jacob, let me take Bella to the infirmary and take care of that injury." Carlisle was now standing beside Jacob and I, his hands extended as though he wanted to be handed a child.

"No, that's ok, I've got her." Jacob opposed, pulling me closer to his body.

"Really Jacob, you've been carrying her for a while, I'll take over from here." Carlisle insisted, a slight edge to his voice.

"I'm fine; I can stand to carry her to the infirmary. I'd really like to stay with her while you check her out." Jacob stood his ground.

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea." Carlisle objected to this new request.

"I just want to make sure she's ok. Now that I've found her, I feel a certain responsibility." Jacob was being extremely stubborn.

There was a strange, tense silence as Carlisle – our boss! – and Jacob stared each other down.

"Jacob." a calm voice called out. I looked around and saw Sam walking up to us. "Carlisle can't let you be there when he checks out Bella, you're not a relative or anything." he explained and looked pointedly at Jacob, as though daring him to object.

"Fine." Jacob relented bitterly.

He was about to hand me over to Carlisle – I kind of felt like a football or something – but I put a hand on Carlisle's forearms in protest. I shivered as my hand made contact with his cool forearm; he must have been out in the cool night air for a while.

"I think I can manage to walk to the infirmary." I objected.

"I would really prefer to carry you Bella, you're probably pretty weakened by the lack of food and the cold." Carlisle debated.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I accepted ungracefully.

While Carlisle carried me to the infirmary, Esme dispersed the other counsellors but Zeelah and Angela followed after us, saying they'd stay out of the room while I was being examined but that they wanted to stay with me. Carlisle didn't object and we were soon in the brightly lit infirmary and I was laid down on an exam table while the physician busied himself, pulling out a manila file and a sheet of paper.

"Ok Bella, so it says here you aren't allergic to anything," Carlisle stated, looking down at what I saw was the health questionnaire I had filled out at my 'interview'.

I nodded and he looked up from my file. Then he proceeded to clean the wound on my hand, commenting that I was lucky it wasn't any deeper or else it would have required stitches. He applied some sort of ointment on the cut before fixing gauze to my hand with clear skin tape. Then he checked my vitals and said that everything was fine but he still wanted me to eat something before letting me go off to the dormitories.

He then called Zeelah and Angela in and asked them to take me upstairs to get something to eat. My two friends obliged and soon I was sitting alone with them in the cafeteria in front of a bowl of steaming soup with two slices of bread and a carrot muffin set out. They too asked me what had happened in the woods and I explained it to them, suddenly feeling drowsy after being thoroughly warmed up by my soup and having my stomach filled. The girls helped me back to the dormitories and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell in a deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

The two weeks of preparation were flying by quickly; we would be heading back to Forks High the day after tomorrow. Throughout these two weeks, I had realized my first assumption about Lauren was right; I did not enjoy working with her at all. She never pulled her own weight, always had people do what she was supposed to be doing for her. Most of the time, she got guys to do things for her by shamelessly flirting with them. And although her attitude got on my last nerve, I couldn't help but be disappointed in the guys that succumbed to her 'charms'.

The only guys who didn't seem to be affected by Lauren and her tricks were Emmett, Jasper, Edward and the Quileute boys. It was as though all of them had super senses that enabled them to see through her scheming.

Trying to divert my thoughts to more pleasant things, I looked at my fellow counsellors that didn't get on my nerves: Alice was talking animatedly with Zeelah and Angela was just smiling while she listened to the two of them. I really got along fantastically with the three of them and was really glad that at least Angela and Alice would be attending UW. Zeelah would be heading off to California at the end of the summer but had sworn she'd keep in touch via e-mail.

"Good morning everybody!" Esme greeted as she walked into the cafeteria that morning.

Esme and Carlisle were also part of the people I loved at camp; both were so down to earth and concerned about our well-being and happiness at camp that it was hard not to think of them as surrogate parents.

"So we thought we'd all head out on the lake today to practice our canoeing techniques!" Esme continued cheerfully.

I shuddered slightly. I wasn't the best canoe-er in the world; my lack of natural balance and hand-eye coordination made for poor results when I boarded a canoe. More than once when we had our crash courses on canoeing with Mike did I feel really happy that we were obligated to wear our lifejackets because I fell out of the canoe often. Each time Lauren made it a point to laugh until Jacob threatened to lead her into the woods and leave her to fend for herself if she didn't stop laughing.

I mentally reviewed all the technique we'd be taught as we all made our way down to the canoe beach and Mike and his helpers brought enough lifejackets and paddles down.

"Hey Bella, wanna be my canoe buddy?" Alice asked as she skipped her way to me.

"Sure Alice," I started, then out of kindness, I thought I'd give her an out, "but are you sure you want to partner with me? I'm kind of a klutz and I might get us to topple over." then after consideration, I added, "multiple times."

She laughed, all bells, and put a reassuring, albeit cold, hand on my shoulder, "Oh Bella, don't worry, I've got your back!" and there was a knowing smile on her lips.

With that settled, we walked down to the edge of the water and donned our lifejackets and Alice straddled the end of the canoe while I made my way to the front, my paddle set out in front of me, perpendicular to the canoe, resting on its edges while I stepped on the center line of our embarkation. Then I kneeled down and rested my butt on the bench, just like Mike had taught us to do and waited for Alice to push our canoe out.

And it seemed my worrying had all be for nothing because it seemed practice _did_ make perfect; we were scheduled to paddle out into the lake for an hour, have lunch on one of the islands and then come back to camp and when we finally reached our destination, I hadn't fallen once in the water. It seemed every time I started losing my balance, some unknown force righted my body and the canoe and I wouldn't fall into the water.

Lunch was a quick, unceremonious affair, consisting of sandwiches and powdered juice and granola bars and apples for dessert. Then we all set back out and once again, my technique –or maybe it was just luck – assured I stayed dry. But then, when we were about ten minutes away from the island we'd had lunch on, things started to change.

It all happened so suddenly; I turned around to say something to Alice and when I turned back to face the front of the canoe, the sky was a menacing dark grey and the wind was blowing furiously, causing the surface of the water to swell and foam dangerously. A small gasp came from Alice and just as I whipped around to ask her what was wrong, a strong wave hit our canoe from the side and sent us barrelling sideways.

I was so shocked when I hit the cold water that I swallowed a mouthful of liquid and started spewing when my face broke the surface. Once again, I was glad to be wearing a lifejacket and brushed the water out of my eyes, trying to see which way to the shore, all the while wanting more than anything to find Alice.

"ALICE?!" I called out, turning around in the water to find her. "ALICE?!" panic was now evident in my voice.

"BELLA!" I faintly heard her calling back and I turned in the direction of the sound.

"ALICE!" finally I spotted her and tried swimming to her but my lifejacket was making things difficult.

"BELLA!" Alice's hand clamped on my shoulder and she started swimming while towing me along. "We're almost at the shore, don't worry!" she called and I could faintly see land ahead though I was sure we weren't heading for the canoe beach back at camp.

Ten minutes later, Alice was helping me up and out of the water while I wrapped my arms around my torso, trying to warm myself. The harsh winds were making me shake with the cold and my teeth were clattering. I walked in a straight line and dove into nearby bushes, relieved that the greenery was cutting some of the wind's bitter edge.

"It all happened so suddenly, I didn't see it changing!" Alice cried out and she seemed to be talking to no one.

"It's ok Alice." I patted her on the back. "It's not like you can predict the weather!" I laughed and it felt good to laugh, even though – or maybe _because_ – our situation seemed pretty dire.

"Where did the canoe go?" I finally thought to ask. If we were going to get out of here when the weather settled, we'd need our canoe.

"It drifted away." Alice answered. "It was either getting to you or getting to the canoe." she added.

"Well, I'm glad you chose me instead of the canoe." I answered through chattering teeth.

"Oh my god Bella, you're freezing, you poor thing!" realization dawned on Alice. "Here, let me start a fire."

And to my utter bewilderment, she did! In no time, she had a small fire going and I edged closer to it to feel some warmth. After a while, as though as an afterthought, Alice also joined me next to the fire and extended her hands out to the flame to warm herself.

"Well, it's probably going to be a while before they can set out and come and get us..." Alice broke the silence that had settled. "If I remember correctly from your introduction, you're going to be an Art major next fall?"

And just like that Alice got a conversation going and every time I tried to steer it away from me and onto her, she'd masterfully reverted back to me again. After my first five attempts at getting her to open up about herself failed, I gave up and just answered her questions and probes without thinking. I got to telling her about my life with my dad, why I lived with him instead of with my mom; I revealed things to her that even people I considered my friends back home didn't know about me. It was nice to be able to talk about Charlie to someone who didn't know him as 'Chief Swan' and about 'that-heathen-woman-that-ran-out-on-poor-Chief-Swan' as people in our town often referred to my mother as.

"Bella, may I ask you a question?" Alice eventually politely asked, almost looking sheepish.

_Like you haven't asked me thousands already..._ I joked to myself.

"Shoot."

"Why do you always refer to your home as 'Charlie's place'?" she astutely asked.

I felt my cheeks grow warm and looked into our small fire, "I guess... It's probably because I still don't feel completely comfortable living there..." I truthfully answered.

"But haven't you live there for a while?" she asked again.

"Yes, years." I answered. I sighed heavily and thought of a way to explain it to her so she could understand. "It's probably really silly..." Alice nodded to encourage me, "It's just that my dad hasn't changed anything around the house. Ever." I added. She didn't seem any more enlightened than before. "My mom left my dad when I was about two months old and he hasn't made any changes to anything she did in their house. It just feels like I'm living in the 'Charlie and Renée Swan's newlyweds' house', if that makes any sense at all. Everything in the house belongs to a pre-Bella era."

I still didn't think it made any sense to someone other than me but somehow Alice nodded and I wasn't sure if she was just pretending to understand to placate me or if she really did understand. Either way, I dropped the subject and so did she and we sat in a comfortable silence.

Eventually, Alice sat up straighter, looking over her shoulder to the shore and smiled, "They'll be here soon."

* * *

"Bella, Bella wake up!" I must have fallen asleep because Alice was shaking my shoulder. "Look," she added, pointing out to the lake and I could see a form getting nearer and nearer but still wasn't able to make it out.

_Wow, I should probably get an eye doctor appointment before I start school because I can't see what's got Alice so chirper._

"They'll be here in a matter of minutes." Alice beamed at me.

And sure enough, a minute later I could make out the shape; it seemed to be an aluminum motor boat that was obviously heading our way. I scrambled to my feet and ran to the water's edge, waving my arms over my head enthusiastically even though there was no way they could see me from so far away. I waited quite impatiently until I could finally make out three figures that eventually turned out to be Emmett, Sam and Embry. I smiled stupidly at them when they were about twenty feet away from the shore.

"Boy, am I glad to see you!" I called out, my voice bubbly with my happiness that we were rescued.

"Are you ok Bella?" Sam asked anxiously. "You're not hurt?"

"We're fine," I started, smiling back at him. "It's a good thing we were wearing our lifejackets because I'm not sure I would have been able to keep afloat with the waves. Alice basically had to tug me along until we reached this island." I beamed back at Alice, glad that she had been there with me.

"But you're ok? You're not hurt?" Sam insisted.

"No, I told you I'm fine. Maybe a little cold, even though Alice _did_ manage to start a fire."

That seemed to put Sam's mind at ease and he helped me into the boat as Alice jumped in easily. She sat on one of the benches and smiled at me while Embry handed me a thick grey wool blanket and I took it gladly. I sat next to Alice, offering her to share the blanket but she assured me she was fine. I shrugged and Emmett, who was the one working the motor, took us back to camp.

* * *

"Alright guys, we'll see you all on Sunday morning back at Forks High!" Esme called before stepping off the bus.

It was late on Friday afternoon and we were heading back into town for our weekend off before the start of the first camp. I was a little sad to be leaving camp, even though my first two weeks of work had been eventful, to say the least. But I was looking forward to reassuring Charlie that I loved my job and that we were taken very good care of so that he wouldn't worry all summer about me. I was also looking forward to taking a very hot long bath instead of a quick shower in the communal shower of the dormitories. I was also looking forward to being able to decide what I'd have to eat during the day, not having to eat what was decided on by other people.

I was sitting next to Angela again on the bus while Zeelah sat next to Jacob in the seat behind mine. These two were like to peas in a pod; their temperaments were so close that they got along famously. Their extraverted, laid-back personalities were in stark contrast with mine and Angela's calmer demeanours and Zeelah and Jacob balanced Angela and I well.

"So you guys wanna check out that movie tomorrow night?" Zeelah asked, referring to the latest sci-fi movie Angela and I had both expressed an interest in seeing.

"Sure, why don't you guys leave me your numbers and I'll check the schedules and call you two up?" Angela asked and we agreed.

"Am I invited or is this a girls' night out kind of thing?" Jacob asked playfully.

I looked at Zeelah and Angela to see what they wanted to do.

"I was actually thinking of bringing Ben along..." Angela trailed off as she blushed lightly.

"Well then I guess it'd be ok if you came," Zeelah told Jacob, "And how about you ask the other guys from the rez if they're up for it too." she suggested.

"Sure, sure." Jacob answered.

And so, the next night, our group met at the theatre and I was glad that I was able to hang out with these people outside of work. It was strange to me how back home I'd always been somewhat of a social recluse and that in the space of two weeks, I had made new friends easily and now knew more people than I had ever before. I laughed the entire night and thought that this was definitely going to be the greatest summer job ever if things continued like this. When we parted ways after the movie I was really looking forward to the next day, to meeting the kids that would be under my responsibility and to really starting to work.

* * *

**A/N: Before any of you give me grief over this chapter, let me explain a few things that might put everything in perspective. After reading, if you still feel the need to disagree with what happened during the chapter, please feel free to tell me in your reviews.**

**First, although I absolutely loved the series, I always thought that Bella was let in to the whole 'secret-vampire-world' waaayyy to easily FOR MY TASTE. Personally, I would think that since the only rule there is for vampires is to keep their existence a secret, she was let in on the Cullens' vampirism too easily.**

**Also, I wanted my fic's Bella to have a little more sense of self-preservation. This is why she ran away scared shitless in the woods when Jasper got all thirsty when she fell and injured herself. Her instincts just took over and her body reacted.**

**Now, please go review and I'd really appreciate if those of you who have camp stories/anecdotes could share them with me. Maybe it'll help me get back in the spirit of CC or Csquared as my beta called it once. Psychic cookies to those who review!**

**Toodles!**

**Mrs. Captain Peroxide.**


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